Never too Old to Dream
by Code Green
Summary: Beaten down by harsh realities, Sarah has placed her childhood imagination aside. It will take an old enemy, the Goblin King, to make her believe in the magic of her dreams once again.
1. Harsh Realities

I finally came up with a Sarah/Jareth story that I'm satisfied with! This will most likely be my last Labyrinth story, so enjoy, and please let me know what you think! 

** Code Green **

Chapter One: Harsh Realities 

Rain poured from the dark sky, drenching the lone figure of a woman as she stepped out of her car. She slammed the car door shut and pulled the back of her jacket above her head before racing through a large puddle towards the safety of her front porch. Thunder grumbled angrily as she hastily unlocked the front door and stepped into her house, shutting the door quickly behind her.

A bag and purse were placed on a chair in the dark entrance room of the house, and a small lamp was turned on. The jacket was removed and straight brown hair, slightly damp, cascaded down the woman's back. She sighed tiredly as she looked at the clock, her dark eyes noticing how the minute and hour hands were both pointing to a large twelve.

Social work did have its disadvantages.

With another sigh the woman trudged up the stairs to the second floor, weary and all emotional strength exhausted. She moved into a small room and turned a light on. Her eyes roamed through the room, ensuring that everything was in its proper place before she went to her dresser. She pulled out a pair of pajamas, changed into them, and then sat down at her large vanity.

She looked into her mirror and shook her head. No matter how much makeup she wore, it never seemed to hide her fatigue. For a twenty-eight-year-old, she felt extremely aged and washed out.

Social work was taking its toll on Sarah Williams. Every day was spent helping abused children, and now she was starting to look like one herself.

This particular evening had been spent with the police at the Carter house. Jessica Lee had been rushed from the house as her parents, previously in a drunken fight, had been intercepted. It had been Sarah's duty to hold the terrified child, comforting her as best she could before confronting the parents. Just as they had been abusive to each other and their daughter, the parents had been abusive to their social worker. Now Jessica Lee was in the care of an agency and Sarah was, once again, the hated interferer.

A picture on the vanity caught Sarah's attention, and she picked it up gently. She looked at Karen's face and Toby's mischievous smirk. Her father was smiling from behind them, almost blocking a large surfboard that stood behind the family.

It was times like these when Sarah wished her father hadn't gotten his traveling job. She wanted a hug from Karen or a joke from Toby to cheer her up. It was too late to call them now, and she really wanted their encouragement. Even more so, she wanted to be with them. Florida seemed like the terrific place to push troubles aside and use one's imagination.

Sarah's job didn't leave much room for imagination. The past five years of her life had been filled with cold realities. There was no time for dress up or toys. Dreams had no place in her world. She had forgotten _how_ to dream as her days were filled with cruelty and pain. Oh, to have the innocence of a fifteen-year-old again!

"I'm too old and tired to dream anymore," Sarah whispered, fingers coming to rest on a small statue of a man in blue. "But I don't want to be. I am just too busy. I'm not a little girl anymore. People would think I'm crazy if I ran around in a medieval gown and spouted poetry."

She picked the statue up and put it in a drawer.

"And now I'm reasoning with a statue," she sighed, looking at her reflection in the mirror. "Sarah, you've lost it up here," she said, tapping her forehead. "Go to bed. You're tired. It's too late to be talking to yourself."

She moved away from the vanity and turned her light off. She slid wearily into bed and pulled the covers over her tired body, eyes fluttering closed as she did so.

"I wish," she yawned, drifting into sleep, "that I could dream again."

She never saw, as her world of realities changed to darkness, a great barn owl lifting effortlessly off the limb of a tree outside her window and soaring into the stormy sky.


	2. Wings of Time

**Chapter two is now up! I am so encouraged by the different responses I've already gotten to this story, and it's only just begun! Enjoy, and please review! **

**"I'll teach you to jump on the wind's back, and away we go."  
- Peter Pan**

**Chapter Two: Wings of Time**

_He was there, holding her in his arms as she moved in a dreamlike state across the dance floor. Everything was a terrible blur. There was nothing surrounding them except for a wild array of colors, and his face, no matter how hard she tried, would not come into focus. He was singing to her, but his voice was far away, almost inaudible._

_"Why can't I see you?" her voice, pitiful and childish, whispered._

_He didn't answer but kept dancing, sweeping her along with him. He moved his mouth to her ear and whispered._

_"Sarah…"_

A clanging sound pierced the dance, and Sarah groaned and turned in her bed. She opened one eye and glared at the alarm clock that was screaming next to her.

"Oh, knock it off," she yawned and then slapped it.

It stopped its incessant ringing, and Sarah sat up, her head immediately throbbing with pain.

"Oh," she groaned, looking at the clock. "Six hours of sleep won't do anyone much good."

She forced herself out of bed and clumsily made her way downstairs to the kitchen. She took two Tylenols out of the medicine cabinet and downed them with a glass of orange juice. She rummaged in the refrigerator for a moment, trying to find something to eat, and then pulled out two eggs. She glanced at the calendar next to the refrigerator as she closed the door and sighed when she saw her schedule for the day.

"Be at orphanage by 7:30. Go to zoo at 10:00."

"Why did I have to volunteer for that this weekend?" Sarah asked herself as she began to cook the eggs over a stove.

Along with her social work, Sarah volunteered frequently at a nearby orphanage. She was often asked to go on field trips with the children or assist them in certain classes, and she didn't have the heart to refuse. The children loved her and she loved the children, and that was all there was to that.

Sarah ate a quick breakfast and then returned to her room. She found a casual outfit for the day and then brought it into her bathroom with her. Once there, she took a quick shower, got dressed, and applied her makeup. She could almost see bags under her eyes, and she frowned with disappointment at her reflection.

"It's no wonder I'm not married yet. I spend all this time on makeup and it doesn't do a drop of good. When I'm not applying makeup, I'm out being screamed at by an abusive parent or conversing with the police. I think I need a vacation. I haven't had one of those in awhile. Maybe Dad can find a way for me to meet them somewhere nice."

It was only a fifteen-minute drive to the orphanage, and when Sarah arrived, the orphans were already climbing up into one of the transport buses. She said her greetings to the many administrators and caretakers and then stepped into the bus.

All of the children that saw her waved their hellos and called her name happily. She smiled and waved to them in return, forgetting her weariness and frustration because of their radiating joy. She found a seat next to Frankie, a ten-year-old boy who didn't speak very often, for he was usually absorbed in reading books and preferred them to the company of other children his age.

"Hello Frankie," Sarah smiled, slipping onto the seat next to him and putting her purse on her lap. "What book are you reading today?"

"Hello Miss Sarah," Frankie smiled shyly. "I'm reading 'Peter Pan.' It's one of my favorite books."

"Oh, it's one of mine too!" Sarah exclaimed. "I just love the idea of being able to fly to a world where no one ever grows up."

"But then you would miss out on many great things in life," Frankie said.

"Such as what?" Sarah found herself asking, somewhat bitterly.

"Well," he said thoughtfully, his forehead wrinkled, "you would miss out on being able to buy toys from TV commercials. I can't buy anything from TV until I'm eighteen. You wouldn't be able to learn how to drive and you wouldn't be able to go everywhere by yourself."

"Your insightfulness never ceases to astound me," Sarah laughed. "Grown-ups don't have that much fun, Frankie. We get to deal with an adult world that is sometimes entirely unmanageable."

"But you do a terrific job," Frankie said honestly. "Everyone loves you."

"Thank you for your confidence," Sarah sighed and then smiled. "So what animals do you want to see the most at the zoo?"

"Owls," Frankie said without taking a breath. "I have been reading all about them. They are amazing creatures, and they're so powerful! Do you like owls, Miss Sarah?"

"Not really," Sarah said decidedly. "I think it's kind of creepy the way they just stare at you without blinking. I like the big cats, like the lions and leopards."

"I like them too, but owls fascinate me. If you don't mind, Miss Sarah, I'm going to keep reading," Frankie said, opening his book.

"I don't mind at all," Sarah answered and then looked out the window.

Owls did, in an odd sense, terrify her. As far as she was concerned, they were associated with one of the worst nightmares she had ever had, about a man turning into an owl, his eyes gazing hauntingly into hers, as though in great pain, right before he transformed. Those pained eyes had cut through her like a knife, and owls had frightened her ever since that dream.

The zoo wasn't yet crowded when the bus of orphans arrived. They were able to get right into the zoo and then they were split up into groups. Sarah's assignment was to stay with a group of eight children and one caretaker, and the children immediately began their journey to the African safari part of the zoo.

Sarah enjoyed looking at the wild cats, gazelles, elephant and giraffes, and her pleasure was only magnified by the delight of the children. They pointed at everything, questioned everything, and were entirely amazed by all the animals.

After the safari, the children wanted to see the birds. There was going to be a bird show in ten minutes' time, and they were all eager to watch it.

Goose bumps covered Sarah's arms as she walked into the bird section with the children. She tried to listen to Frankie's enthusiastic dialogue on each winged creature, but her mind kept playing tricks on her, and so it was difficult to hear him.

Each bird seemed to be staring at her, watching her as though they were waiting for something to happen. Sarah avoided looking at their eyes and instead looked about at the greenery that surrounded them, trying to concentrate all her attention on the shrubbery.

"Wow!" Frankie suddenly exclaimed, and all the other children joined in.

"Look at that!"

"Amazing!"

They were all pointing to something behind Sarah, and she turned to see what they were astounded with. She gasped sharply when she saw an owl perched on a branch directly behind where she had been standing. He was a magnificent creature, and he looked at her steadily, unflinchingly. His feathers were stunningly white, and his talons were sharp and black, curled easily in the bark of the tree branch.

"Look at him, Miss Sarah!" Frankie cheered. "Isn't he terrific! And he's just sitting there looking at us!"

"Looking at us, or looking at me?" Sarah whispered, her eyes drawn to the owl's.

Now, seeing an owl at that close proximity when she didn't like owls was terrifying enough, but seeing an owl with one blue eye and one brown eye was absolutely horrific. Images flashed through Sarah's mind, images she had long since tried to forget, had pushed aside as a vision that had never really happened. She saw those same eyes, bright with passion, in the face of a man. She could feel his breath brushing against her neck as he circled her, could feel his gloved hand taking one of hers.

"Wow!" One of the little girls said, taking Sarah's hand and drawing her out of her thinking. "He's beautiful!"

Sarah's hand tightened around the child's as though trying to protect her from being kidnapped by a strange magical creature that had a profound liking for babies.

"Sarah," the caretaker, Mrs. Sawyers, called. "The show is going to start in a matter of minutes. Let's go get a seat."

Sarah nodded and then turned away from the owl, a bead of sweat trickling down her forehead as she did so.

"Frankie," she asked as they walked over to the auditorium where the show was going to take place, "did you see that owl's eyes? I don't know that I've ever seen an owl with a brown eye and a blue eye before."

"He had brown eyes, Miss Sarah," Frankie said with confusion.

"Oh. I thought he had a blue eye as well," Sarah said, letting out a sigh of relief.

"Children, where do you want to sit?" Mrs. Sawyers asked as they entered the small auditorium.

"The front!" They all cheered at the same time.

"Perhaps I'll sit outside during the show," Sarah suggested as the children began to sit down on the first bench.

"Do you not like birds, Sarah?" Mrs. Sawyers asked.

"Not owls," Sarah said uncomfortably.

"They won't hurt you, dear. They will be in a completely controlled environment. You may even enjoy them," Mrs. Sawyers smiled.

"Please stay, Miss Sarah?" Frankie pleaded.

"Well, I suppose so," Sarah said sitting down next to him and clutching her purse that was on her lap.

"I won't let any of the birds hurt you," Frankie smiled sweetly.

"Good. I'm going to hold that promise to you now. You're my little warrior and you need to keep me safe," Sarah smiled, putting her hand on Frankie's shoulder.

By the time the show began, the auditorium was full. Two zoo employees stepped out onto the stage and began to speak, each of them with a bird of prey on one of their shoulders. They demonstrated how the birds flew and caught prey, the birds flying over the audience as part of the show.

Sarah found it peculiar that she didn't mind the eagles and hawks flying over her, but as soon as the owls were brought onto the stage, shivers shot through her body and sweat began to form on her face.

It was almost all Sarah could take when the owls began to soar over her. Flashbacks of a time long gone and perhaps never existent flowed through her mind.

_A great owl burst into the room, wings flapping frantically as it weaved through the curtains. It brushed past a young girl, her arms covering her face in terror as his wings beat against her skin. She could almost feel his claws on her flesh as he swept past her, and when she opened her eyes, there __**he **__was. The wretched owl had disappeared, and in his place was a man, mysterious, dangerous, and beautiful all at once. _

"Miss Sarah, are you all right?"

Sarah opened her eyes, which had been tightly closed, and looked down at Frankie. He was very concerned, as was evident by the wideness of his eyes and his hand on one of hers.

"Yes," Sarah nodded, noting that the owls were no longer flying about the room. "I'm all right."

When Sarah arrived at her home that night, she rushed up to her room and collapsed onto her bed.

"What a nightmare," she whispered into her pillow, hands snaking underneath the plush object. "I shouldn't be afraid of owls, but I'm terrified of them. What is this?"

Her hands had found something solid beneath her pillow, and she raised her head and pulled the object out to where she could see it.

It was a leather bound red book with gold writing.

"The Labyrinth," Sarah read and then opened the book to a page. "But what no one knew," she read slowly, "was that the Goblin King had fallen in love with the girl and had given her certain powers."

"Such nonsense," Sarah sighed. "I used to read you far too much, Labyrinth. I put one too many stories in my head and believed that they were all real. Now look where that got me."

She lay back on her bed and gazed up at the glow-in-the-dark stars that covered her ceiling. She thought about the children she had spent the morning with and then moved her thinking to a different subject, abuse cases that she was presently working with.

Gradually, her eyes became heavy and then drifted closed, casting Sarah into a much-needed, deep sleep. There was no time in her schedule for lightheartedness, no room for much positive thinking. Her only release from her hectic life was sleep, and as of late, she hadn't even been getting enough of that.


	3. When the Clock Strikes Thirteen

**All rightee! The next chapter is up! I had too much fun writing this one! Enjoy, and let me know what you think! **

**"Who said that every wish, would be heard and answered, when wished on the morning star? Somebody thought of that, and someone believed it, and look what it's done so far. What's so amazing that keeps us star gazing, and what do we think we might see? Somebody we'll find it, that rainbow connection, the lovers, the dreamers, and me." – Kermit the Frog "The Rainbow Connection"**

**Chapter Three: When the Clock Strikes Thirteen**

Sarah was startled out of her dreams by a flash of lightning and a blast of thunder that shook the house. She opened her eyes and sleepily glanced to the small window in her room. A flash of lightning illuminated the outside, and she caught sight of rain pouring down from the sky. She also saw something moving outside the window, fluttering about wildly in the leaves of the tree that stood outside.

"What?" she asked groggily, slipping out of bed and moving over to the window. She pulled her curtain aside and then looked into the leaves.

She nearly screamed when she saw a white owl flapping its wings in a desperate attempt to stay on its perch. For one split second, she saw one piercing blue eye illuminated by lightning.

"This can't be happening!" She groaned, moving away from the window. "I'm being stalked by an owl whose eyes change color constantly! Well, good night to you, frightening thing. I'm going back to sleep. I have a busy day tomorrow and chances are, as soon as I get back into bed, you'll be gone again."

She slipped back under her covers and was just about to close her eyes again when a loud clanging sound echoed eerily above the thunder. She sighed as the grandfather clock downstairs began to chime. In times past, it had been the perfect tool to put her to sleep, for instead of counting sheep, she had counted chimes.

"Maybe that will help again," she whispered, closing her eyes wearily and counting with the clock.

The clock reached its twelfth chime, and then Sarah snuggled into her blankets.

"There. Now…"

_Dong!_

"That's odd," Sarah yawned. "I'll have to talk to Dad about that clock when he gets home."

A door from somewhere inside the house slammed, and Sarah sat up abruptly, dark eyes wide with fear. She jumped out of bed and left her room, trembling as she walked down the dark corridor to her parents' room, her only light the occasional lightning that flashed outside.

"Who's in here?" She asked and then jumped when she heard a giggle coming from her parents' room.

"Okay," she whispered, a hand on her chest as she tried to calm herself. "Whoever's in here obviously isn't trying to make a secret about it."

She stepped into her parents' room and her hand automatically went to the light switch. To her dismay, the lights refused to turn on. She squinted into the darkness and noticed that the doors to her parents' balcony were wide open, curtains flapping wildly in the wind. She rushed to the doors, but before she could reach them, she tripped over something solid and furry. She fell onto her hands and knees and then struggled to her feet.

Instantly, she gazed about her parents' room, catching sight of several small moving objects, all of them with wild hair or heavy helmets.

"Goblins!" She choked and spun wildly around to come face to face with a large clock that had never been there before. Its hour and minute hands were both pointing to a large, well-defined thirteen.

"No!" she shouted, her hands going to her head. "Get out of my head! Stop! This is all a dream! Someone save me, save me from this awful place!"

Colorful, dancing light suddenly became visible on the clock face, and Sarah turned around slowly, terrified, and caught her breath in shock.

There, standing in the open balcony doorway, was a man. Glitter encircled him like a magnet, covering his black clothing and boots with their shine. His hair was wild, untamable like the mane of a great horse, and his eyes were intense and beautiful, one deep brown, the other icy blue. His cape, dark and magnificent, swirled about him in the wind of the storm. He was gazing ahead at his goblins, which were causing havoc in one of Mr. William's drawers, but in a matter of seconds, he turned his head and gazed steadfastly into Sarah's terrified eyes.

"Hello Sarah."

She screamed and grabbed hold of one of the heavy candlesticks on her father's bureau. She then charged the unwanted intruder and raised the candlestick to hit him over the head with it.

In one swift movement, the Goblin King had grabbed the candlestick with one hand and had pulled Sarah to him with the other.

"My, my," he said, a distinct note of pleasure in his voice as he lowered his face so that it was mere inches away from hers. "Seems like my little Sarah has grown up."

"I'm not your Sarah!" Sarah struggled, trying to push him away from her. "You're nothing but part of my deteriorating imagination! Go away and take your nasty creatures with you!"

"Sarah," Jareth tsked. "You truly believe you can order a king about with your insignificant words?"

"My words worked on you before!" Sarah gasped as he dropped the candlestick, grabbed hold of her wrists, and pulled her so that she was pressed firmly against him.

"How you've changed," he murmured, ignoring her panic and studying her face carefully. "Years have done you a great deal of good. You look like a queen."

"The queen of the dead, maybe. Let go of me!" Sarah screamed again, trying desperately to punch him in the chest.

"You so discredit yourself," Jareth sighed and moved one of his hands to her hair. "My precious Sarah," he said as he ran a strand of brunette through his fingers. "How beautiful you are. I have longed for the day when you would be returned to me."

"Stop saying things like that!" Sarah shrieked. "I didn't return to you! What are you doing here? Why do you haunt me so?"

"You made a wish," he said with a shrug and then released her.

"I've made many wishes! Why have you come now?" Sarah shouted, leaping away from him.

"You made a wish to be able to dream again. Here I am, the man of your dreams," Jareth smirked, folding his arms across his chest.

"Since when have you decided that you're the man of my dreams?" Sarah laughed, imitating his posture.

"I haven't, darling," he said with a wave of his hands. "Your dreams have betrayed you. In order to be the answer to your wish, I had to see what dreams you wished to have back again, what dreams meant the world to you. Was not one of those dreams to have the man you loved fall helplessly in love with you? Come, come now. You couldn't have forgotten about the Goblin King who had 'fallen in love with the girl,' could you?"

"That was all in a book!" Sarah exclaimed. "I was a child! I didn't know what I was saying!"

"Oh you didn't?" Jareth smirked, circling her and enjoying how she squeezed her eyes shut tightly. "You believed the words with all your heart, which is why they came true. I'm the man who has haunted all your most beautiful, passion-filled dreams. I, and I alone, am the one that was drawn on so many pages of your sketchbooks, who had my name written hundreds of times on the pages of your heart. You cannot deny me the one pleasure I have."

"And what is that pleasure?" Sarah sighed, opening her eyes to find his face right in front of hers, nearly touching her.

"Of being the only one you love."

"Leave. Please, just leave," Sarah shuddered at the tremble of affection in his voice. "I haven't time for dreams or love. I have a very busy schedule. If you must see me, I can set up an appointment. Now is not the time or the place."

"So cruel," Jareth chuckled. "If you think I can be scheduled or ordered about, you are gravely mistaken. I have every intention of staying with you until you can dream again. I will show you your dreams. You haven't a choice this time, little Sarah."

"And how were you planning on making me dream again?" Sarah frowned, a dizzy spell sweeping through her as her thoughts pounded at her mercilessly.

_He's not real. He's a figment of your imagination. You've gone completely crazy. That's what happens when you work with so many crazy people on a daily basis. Your heroes from the past have come back to haunt you. Sarah, you're talking to a hallucination. You must be sick! Oh no! What if I'm dying?_

"I'll bring your dreams back to you with a touch of magic. Just my presence should help your imagination return to you," Jareth spoke, interfering with her thoughts.

"You're just an illusion," Sarah sighed tiredly. "I'm talking to an illusion."

"Sarah, I am really here," Jareth frowned, grabbing her by her shoulders. "I am flesh and blood, just as you are."

"Indeed. Flesh that's what, about fifty years old?"

"No, Sarah. Much, much older than that," Jareth smiled.

"That's just disgusting," Sarah said, putting her fingertips to her forehead. "I was a fifteen-year-old obsessed with someone who's at least my grandfather's age."

"Truly your imagination has disappeared," Jareth frowned. "I'll rescue you from your realities, Sarah, and let you fly on the wings of a dream again. That's why I'm here."

"You aren't really here!" Sarah snapped, tears forming in her eyes. "You've been gone for thirteen years! You think you can just reappear in my mind? I'm on the edge of a nervous breakdown, Goblin King! Goblins don't exist, and neither does kings that live forever! Go back to your kingdom, your Labyrinth, and leave me to myself!"

"Must I prove to you that I'm really here?" Jareth asked, taking her chin in one of his hands.

"You are touching me now. If I can't believe you now, what will make me believe you?" Sarah frowned.

"Do you remember any of the fairy tales of old?" Jareth asked. "The fairy tales about a princess with skin fair as snow, or of a woman who pricked her finger on a spindle?"

"All those Disney princesses? Of course," Sarah frowned.

"What snapped them out of their slumber and made them see their dreams?"

"A kiss from their prince charming," Sarah said, and then her eyes widened. "Don't you dare! I'm not asleep! I'm fully awake!"

"You've been asleep to your dreams for a terribly long time, Sarah, don't you think?"

"Goblin King!" Sarah shouted as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her to him. "Don't you dare take advantage of me just because I'm so tired and sick! I know I'm hallucinating, but I don't want you doing anything to me that I'm going to regret! Please," her shouting turned to pleading, "don't do anything to hurt me!"

"Never," he said firmly. "I would never do anything to you that I would be ashamed of later."

"Then what are you doing?" Sarah exclaimed as he moved his face to hers.

"Giving you the dream you always wanted but shoved away for thirteen years," Jareth smiled and then kissed her.

Sarah had been numb to the rest of his touches, but this was so intimate and so unexpected that she felt it. And whether or not she would ever admit it, it was a dream that she had wanted ever since she had heard of the powerful and frightening Goblin King.

Her dreams were real. _He_ was real. He was holding her, was kissing her as though she was already queen of the Underground and it was the most natural thing in the world. She didn't know what to think about it, for she was overwhelmed with the events of the evening. He was actually here, entire flesh and blood, and he still loved her, or at least convincingly pretended to.

Sarah trembled in his grasp, and within seconds, she went limp in his arms.

Jareth moved his face away from hers and studied the peaceful expression on her unconscious face. She was so beautiful and she had been away from him for so long. Time often seemed a great deal longer in the Underground than it did in the Aboveground, so for Jareth, this moment had been too long in coming.

"My beautiful Sarah," he whispered, scooping her up into his arms and running his fingers across her cheek as he leaned her head against his shoulder. "What has time done to you? Worn you out, my darling, but made you far more beautiful than I ever could have hoped. Time will bring your dreams back. Time, and a bit of magic from me. Goblins!" he snapped, turning to look at the small creatures that were running recklessly through the room. "It is time to leave."

A few sparkles of glitter later, the goblins, Jareth, and Sarah were gone and the room was returned back to its original, tidy state.


	4. Let the Dreams Begin

**I thought I'd go ahead and put up chapter four for all of you! Thank you so much for all the reviews so far! You are all so encouraging! Please read, enjoy, and review! Have a perfectly marvelous Easter!**

"**All men dream: but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake in the day to find that it was vanity: but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act their dreams with open eyes, to make it possible." – T. E. Lawrence**

Chapter Four: Let the Dreams Begin

Sarah wrapped her arms more tightly around her pillow, burying her face in its silky fluffiness and smiling as parts of her hair brushed over one of her eyes.

"What a dream," she murmured, snuggling up more closely to the pillow. "I haven't had a dream like that in years. He finally came back, finally made me see that I'm not entirely insane. He looked just as good as I remember, just not as big. Jareth…"

"It does do me such good to hear you speak my name again."

Sarah's eyes opened abruptly, and she found herself staring into a dark blue silk pillow. She turned quickly and shrieked as she fell off the bed and landed in front of a pair of brown leather boots.

"This is all a dream!" she shouted, getting to her feet and backing away from Jareth, who was standing quite casually before her. "What are you doing here?"

"Only a few seconds ago you didn't seem so upset to know I had returned," Jareth smirked. "Do I truly terrify you so?"

"Where am I?" Sarah panicked, looking about her to find that she was in a large bedroom that was covered with dark blue and green silks.

"You're in the Labyrinth of course," Jareth said with a wave of his hand. "You didn't think I'd let you stay in your world, did you? How could you learn to dream again if you're always attacked with realities?"

"You listen," Sarah snarled, pointing a finger in his face. "I have an extremely important case to attend to today, and I am not going to let you keep me here. There is a child in great need of my help, and I'm not going to let any imaginary Goblin King in tights and high heels stand in my way!"

"Suit yourself," Jareth shrugged, stepping aside so she could leave the room. "Find your way home, Sarah."

Sarah stalked past him and then stopped and turned around.

"What is the game this time?" She growled. "How long do I have to solve the Labyrinth?"

"Oh, so now this is a game, is it?" Jareth asked, stepping towards her. "My precious Sarah, this is no game. You will stay here until I so desire to send you back."

"Jareth!" Sarah exclaimed. "Did you not hear me? I have a child that needs my help! I have a breakfast to go to with some co-workers before the case hearing! I can't stay here! This could be a matter of life or death!"

"From what I recall," Jareth said, stroking his chin, "You adamantly said that you had a case to attend. I didn't hear you ask me for any sort of assistance in returning home."

"I suppose that didn't occur to me," Sarah said, her voice softening. "I apologize. Please send me back, Jareth? This case means everything to me."

"There now. That was much better," Jareth said and then put his hand on her shoulder.

Sarah let out a sigh of relief when she found herself standing in her room a few seconds later. She glanced out her window to see that it was still dark outside and then moved to her closet.

"So what do you wear to a breakfast and then a case hearing?"

"You're still here?" Sarah asked, pulling a business suit out of her closet.

"I'm not going anywhere until you can dream again."

"Jareth, I cannot have a man staying at my house and following me everywhere. I am not letting you stay here when my family isn't here. Not that I would let you stay here if they were here anyway," Sarah said, turning around with the business suit in her hands. "Thanks for sending me back, Jareth."

"I'm not going anywhere," Jareth said, taking hold of her upper arms.

"Why not?"

"You made a wish. I can't leave you until your wish is fulfilled," he said simply. "So, how do I look for a hearing?"

"Jareth…" Sarah stammered. "I don't think you understand. You _can't_ stay here, and for the type of hearing I'm going to, you can't come. It's confidential."

"I could come if I were under your employment, couldn't I?" Jareth asked, stepping over to her full-length mirror and straightening his poet shirt.

"And what makes you think I want you under my employment?"

"Very well then, I'll go under my own employment."

"Jareth!" Sarah shouted.

"Go get dressed," Jareth said, giving her a pity pat on her cheek.

She let out an irritated groan and then went into the hallway bathroom. Once there, she closed the door and turned to the mirror.

"Okay Sarah," she spoke after taking a deep breath, "you have the obnoxious King of the Goblins in your room planning on following you everywhere until you can dream again." She put her hands on the mirror and moved her face closer to her reflection. "Start dreaming again!" she demanded.

Sarah felt much better after she washed her face and got dressed. She looked extremely professional in her suit with her long hair pulled back in a bun. She stepped out of the bathroom with a determined step, her head held high and her shoulders back. She walked into her room and gasped with surprise when she saw a man, blonde hair cut short and brushed to the side, sitting with his back turned towards her in her vanity chair.

Jareth spun the chair around and grinned at her startled appearance.

"Well?" he asked, standing up and turning in a circle so she could view his whole transformation.

He was wearing a gray suit, pants and coat pressed and straight. Beneath the coat were a white shirt and a black tie. His hair was combed and straight and his face devoid of all its natural shimmer.

"You look…you look…" Sarah stuttered uncertainly.

"Handsome? Irresistible? Gorgeous?" Jareth smirked.

"No, I was going to say professional," Sarah said and then took a step back as Jareth stood up and stepped towards her, moving his face so their noses nearly touched.

"That makeup hides your beauty," he said, his breath warm against her face.

"It enhances my beauty and hides my weariness," Sarah frowned. "Are you ready to go, since I can see I'm not going to be able to go anywhere without you?"

"Good, so we now have an understanding," Jareth grinned, straightening his tie. "Yes, I am prepared. Please refer to me as Jared Shield from England."

"But you aren't from England," Sarah sighed, picking up her purse and leading him downstairs.

"Very well. Tell them I'm the Goblin King from the Labyrinth."

"Your sarcasm bites," Sarah frowned. "Stop staring at me."

"You are in front of me. Where would you have me look?"

"I can't believe this! I'm actually taking the Goblin King out for breakfast," Sarah groaned, opening the house door. "I have every intention of dreaming again."

"Good. You'll be seeing even more of me that way."

"You think this is just a joke!" Sarah shouted, opening her car door. "I want my freedom, Jareth! Don't torment me!"

She looked across the car roof to see him gazing carefully at her, crystalline and chocolate eyes burning into her own. She saw deep pain in his eyes as he folded his arms across the roof, his face full of expression.

"Sarah," he said slowly, his voice nearly trembling with emotion. "Have you no idea how long I have waited to see you again? You pushed me away for so long. Your resistance nearly killed me. Do you shove me away so coldly now?"

"Jareth," Sarah sighed. "You forced yourself back into my life. You forced that kiss, but I didn't respond. You have come uninvited. I don't mean to be so harsh to you, but think about our past relationship. You stole my brother and made me run your confusing world so I could get him back. You deceived me, preying on my teenage emotions in that dance. How can I trust you?"

"I don't ask for your trust," he said carefully. "I ask only for your love."

"And love without trust is nothing," Sarah frowned. "I deal with cases like that every week. Please get in the car, Jareth. I want to stop at the lake before we go to breakfast. It always calms my nerves. It's still dark out anyway. No one's even awake yet."

Jareth didn't speak, but slid into the car as Sarah did the same. He leaned back, and upon watching her put her seatbelt on, he did the same. He closed his door and then watched as Sarah drove them away from the house and down a vacant street.

Sarah loved going to the lake in the early morning when everything was quiet and the stars were still shining. The peacefulness of the waves calmed her soul, and the solitude gave her time to think and pray. Her job required great faith and strength, and she found that strength only from God.

Jareth followed Sarah out of the car and onto the sand. He walked with her to the edge of the water and then looked out at the endless sea.

"Sarah," he spoke presently. "Let the dreams begin."

"What do you mean?" she asked, eyes closed.

"Open your eyes and look out at the water," he said quietly.

Sarah sighed but did as she was told. She opened her eyes and looked out at the waves and the endless blanket of black and stars that formed the sky.

"Now what?" she asked.

"Stretch your imagination. See things that aren't really there."

"There isn't anything there but lake and sky," Sarah frowned.

"Ah, but there used to be. There used to be magic carpets, mermaids, ships, and pirates," Jareth smiled. "They were all out there, beckoning to you, speaking to you."

"They were just fairytales, Jareth. They never really existed."

"But in your mind, they did. The dolphins were your friends, and the ships were your own. You want to dream again. You have to stop looking at things so realistically and break apart the prison bars of your mind."

"I'll try," Sarah sighed.

"Speak what you want to see out loud. It will help it to come true," Jareth instructed.

"Fine."

Sarah looked out at the lake and stars, thinking of everything she wanted to see there. The scenery was so beautiful without her imagination, but if she wanted to dream again, wanted to send Jareth back to the Labyrinth, then it was time to help herself.

"There is a great ship near the edge of the water," she spoke, looking out as far as she could see across the lake and seeing nothing. "On it is a handsome prince, dressed in white with a golden crown on his windswept hair. Next to him stands a princess, her arm through his, a bright smile on her face."

"Good," Jareth said, putting his hands on her shoulders. "What else?"

"There are dolphins dancing merrily about the ship, jumping in and out of the water and talking to the prince and princess. They are so happy, but then another ship appears, menacing and dark, chasing quickly after the ship. Pirates!" Sarah exclaimed. "They start to fire at the ship! The chase begins! Jareth!" She panicked as the sound of cannon fire filled the air. "What's happening?"

"Stand. It won't hurt you," Jareth spoke, his mouth near her ear.

"They're actually there!" Sarah shouted, seeing two magnificent ships on the water, one firing cannonballs at the other. "The dolphins, the prince and princess! They are there! Jareth! Jareth!" she cried, grabbing fistfuls of his coat in her hands. "It's coming back! I can see again! Oh, look! Do you see it? The prince was just struck by a bullet! The poor princess has fallen down next to him! She's so pale. Oh, oh, don't let him die!"

"You are going to let the pirates win?" Jareth asked.

"No!" Sarah exclaimed. "The bad guys can never win. The prince is getting to his feet now and engaging the captain of the pirates in a swordfight."

She could see the fight just as clearly as though it was physically happening. The prince, wounded and bleeding, was struggling against the great captain, but at the last moment, he stabbed the pirate in the chest. The pirates, upon seeing that their captain was dead, quickly turned the ship around and fled.

Sarah was gasping for breath as the ships disappeared into the darkness, and the dolphins became submerged again by the water. Tears threatened to drip down her cheeks and make her makeup run as she realized that for the first time in over five years, her imagination had run free.

"Daylight approaches," Jareth stated, and Sarah shook her head, bringing herself out of her thinking, to look at the first rays of sunlight that were appearing on the water.

"We should probably get to the restaurant," Sarah choked and then began to walk back to her car.

"That wasn't so bad, was it?" Jareth asked as they got inside the vehicle.

"You can still use all of your magic here?" Sarah asked, fastening her seatbelt and starting the car.

"I didn't use any of my magic at the beach, Sarah. That was entirely you."

"Jareth," Sarah spoke as she drove towards the highway. "You do realize that my world is dominated by cruel realities, don't you?"

"Dominated? No," Jareth said, shaking his head. "I think many people let hard times consume them, but there are still many dreamers in this world that have the power to see the good in everything."

"I don't often see the good in my line of business," Sarah sighed. "Children are abused and killed every day, and it's my job to find them and stop them from losing their lives. If you had been able to see those children, Jareth, how hurt they are and how close to death they are when I find them, you would understand why I can hardly dream anymore."

"I have seen them," Jareth said casually. "They are some of the best dreamers in all the world, Sarah, for their dreams are what saves them."

"Do they all have you in their dreams?" Sarah asked, her eyebrows narrowed as she considered what he was saying.

"Not all, but a good portion of them do. I have taken three children to the Labyrinth. They asked to be taken away, so I took them."

"Jareth!" Sarah exclaimed, turning the car into a parking lot of a waffle house. "You can't just take children! That's…that's…wrong, that's what it is!"

"I take them when they're at death's door, Sarah. There's no one else for them to turn to."

"Do you turn them into goblins too?" Sarah gasped, parking the car and then looking over at him.

"No."

"Then how come I never saw them?"

"Because you weren't ready to grasp the concept of them previously having been abused. It appears that your associates are waiting. Shall we go?" Jareth asked.

Sarah was speechless, and she watched with no small shock as Jareth got out of the car, walked over to her door, and opened it for her. She stepped out, her mind reeling, and let him close her door behind her.

Jareth, the gorgeous villain of her dreams, actually cared about children? He didn't want to hurt them or turn them into goblins, but protect them?

Sarah led Jareth into the restaurant, shaking her head with confusion. Everything was happening too fast for her to keep up with! The Goblin King had again made his way back into her life, was following her everywhere, and wasn't going to leave until she could dream independently, on her own, without his help.

She let out a deep sigh and then stood up straighter, pushing aside her own problems and determined to win the upcoming case.


	5. As the Pain Sweeps Through

Chapter Five: As the Pain Sweeps Through This chapter is dedicated to all you social workers out there. Readers, please let me know what you think! I truly enjoy hearing from you! You all brighten my day!

"**Hold fast to dreams, for if dreams die, life is a broken winged bird that cannot fly." –Langston Hughes **

Chapter Five: As the Pain Sweeps Through

"Sarah! How are you this morning?"

Sarah smiled and shook the hand of her co-worker, Elaine Thompson.

"Good morning, Elaine, Samuel," she said, nodding to Samuel, who sat at the table drinking coffee.

"Who is this?" Elaine asked, turning to Jareth with a smile.

"Jareth of Labyrinth, a professional concerning child welfare," Jareth said with a bow. "I am to escort Miss Williams to the court hearing this afternoon and evaluate the child's situation for a study I am conducting."

"Well," Elaine said, winking at Sarah. "We're certainly glad to have you, Jareth. Won't you sit down?"

"Ladies first," Jareth gestured, and Elaine giggled.

"Wow, Sarah!" she whispered as she and Sarah sat down. "Where did you dig him up?"

"From the fossils of my mind," Sarah whispered to herself as she squeezed into the booth next to Elaine and then watched as Jareth sat down in front of her, next to Samuel.

"Hey buddy," Samuel said, shaking Jareth's hand. "Welcome to our part of the world."

"Thank you," Jareth said, picking up a plastic menu and flipping it around uncertainly in his hands.

"You have a gorgeous accent," Elaine said.

"Than you. Miss Williams, what precisely do you get to eat here?" Jareth asked.

"I'll get something for you. Waiter," Sarah signaled, and the waiter came to the table. "I'd like to get two helpings of pancakes, both with a side of bacon, and two cups of coffee, decaf, please. Elaine, Sam, did you order yet?"

"Yes. Ours is on its way," Samuel nodded. "So, Jareth, is it, what do you think about upstate New York?"

"Well," Jareth said, sitting back comfortably. "The scenery is explicit."

"In comparison to England?" Elaine asked dreamily.

"Oh brother," Sarah sighed. "When did he say he was from England?"

"I just figured the Labyrinth was in England," Elaine shrugged.

Jareth was an excellent conversationalist, and he played his role marvelously as a child welfare agent. When the social workers began to discuss the upcoming case about Jessica Lee, he listened with exceptional interest, adding professional input where it was needed. He had Elaine completely entranced, and even Samuel was impressed.

"I have every belief that we'll win this case," Sarah said after the food had been finished. She noticed, with amusement, that Jareth hadn't touched his coffee. "Jareth," she spoke, standing up and starting when he stood up with her. "You haven't touched your coffee."

"My darling Miss Williams," Jareth said, straightening his coat. "It looks a great deal like the Bog."

"Oh, he's got such a sense of humor!" Elaine laughed, standing up. "It was a pleasure meeting you, Mr. Jareth. We will see you in a few minutes at the courthouse."

"Nice meeting you," Samuel said, getting up and shaking Jareth's hand. "See you soon."

Sarah paid for hers and Jareth's breakfast and then led him back out to the car.

"Elaine was certainly fascinated with you," Sarah said as she got into her car.

"What woman isn't?"

"You really know how to go too far, don't you?"

Jareth got into his seat and then looked over at her. He watched as she buckled her seatbelt and then started the car, eyes dark with determination.

"My precious Sarah," he said, reaching out and moving a loose strand of brown hair out of her face to behind her ear. "So stubborn and such an actress."

His fingers brushed against her cheek, and she shuddered at his touch.

"Jareth, this case means everything to me. Please don't spoil it," she said quietly as she drove the car away from the waffle house.

"How is this spoiling it?" Jareth asked, moving his mouth to her ear.

"I'm driving!" Sarah squealed, moving away from him.

Jareth smirked and sat back, arms folded across his chest.

"How hard you try to resist me."

"Considering you kidnapped my baby brother and nearly dropped me in the Bog of Eternal Stench, I can't see how you can say that. The only appeal you have to me," Sarah scowled, turning the car onto the highway, "is that you're the man who haunted all of my stories and my imagination. It amazes me that you can fit in so well in my world."

"All for you, love."

The rest of the drive proceeded in silence.

When they arrived at the courthouse, Sarah and Jareth got out of the car and went inside the great building. The trial wouldn't be starting for another forty-five minutes, but Sarah always liked to arrive a great deal earlier.

Upon arriving inside the courtroom, Sarah was stunned to hear Jessica Lee, who was sitting on one of the other social worker's laps, look at Jareth and exclaim, "It's you!"

"Hello, Jessica Lee," Jareth said graciously, stepping over to the little girl and taking her hand in his.

"It is you! It really is! Miss Sarah!" Jessica Lee exclaimed, looking up at Sarah. "It's the Goblin King!"

Sarah, somewhat embarrassed, looked about the courtroom, seeing if anyone had heard the child's enthusiastic exclamation. Several people had, and all were staring at Jareth with curiosity on their faces. Jessica Lee didn't notice, but kept talking to Jareth as though they were best friends.

"Miss Sarah must be the girl you fell in love with!" she shouted, more loudly than she had shouted anything else.

"Clever, clever child," Jareth said, smirking up at Sarah.

"Mr. Jareth," Sarah said, taking his arm in hers and trying to pull him away from Jessica Lee. "I believe it is time to take our seats. Jessica Lee, I will speak with you later, sweetheart."

"You know Jessica Lee?" she whispered to Jareth as she dragged him to the front of the room.

"Of course. You aren't the only one who's heard about the Goblin King," Jareth said, sitting down as she did.

Sarah said nothing more, but opened up several folders and browsed through them, ignoring Jareth entirely. He didn't speak, but sat straight and tall, his hands folded on the table, looking like the perfect businessman.

The trial began, and much to Sarah's dismay, Mr. and Mrs. Carter were perfectly sober and were gushing with sentimental mush about their child. Not a word came out of their mouth that wasn't uplifting or enthusiastic, and Sarah could only watch, with open mouth, as the judge fell for everything they said. Jessica Lee was too little to understand half of how her parents abused her, and she was so excited about Jareth and she was so young, her thoughts were entirely focused on waving to Jareth and exclaiming, every few minutes, "The Goblin King is here! Look! He's here!"

Hours passed of various testimonies, different evidences, and countless records of previous abuse, but the judge could find no reason to take Jessica Lee out of the care of her parents.

The trial came to a conclusion, the verdict being that Jessica Lee would continue to stay with her parents.

Sarah gave Jessica Lee a small hello and then hurried out of the courthouse, Jareth taking several minutes longer to speak to the little girl. When he was finished, he got into the car with Sarah and she drove them home.

An uncomfortable silence lingered between the two, and not a word was spoken during the whole trip home. Sarah gazed steadfastly ahead at the road, sniffling every now and then, but not permitting a single tear to fall. Jareth glanced at her occasionally, concern on his face, but he wisely refrained from speaking.

As soon as they arrived at Sarah's home, she unlocked the front door and went up to her room. Jareth heard her slam her door, and then he came to a standstill in the entranceway.

With a simple wave of his hand, his normal poet shirt, breeches, and boots replaced the handsome suit and tie, his straight hair became long and untamable, and glitter covered all of his features. He was just about to step into the living room when a loud sob prevented him from moving.

Sarah finished pulling on more casual clothes and then walked over to her door, tears streaming down her face and smudging her makeup. She pounded her fists on the door, eyes squeezed shut, and let out several heart-wrenching sobs.

"Why?" She wailed up to the ceiling. "God, why did You let this happen? How could You do this to me? You know what they're going to do to Jessica Lee! They're going to take her home, get all drunk again, and then beat everything out of that small child! God, why?"

She sunk slowly to the floor, her fists dragging across the door as she did so. She choked on her tears, shaking her head viciously in dismay. Words really wouldn't do her any justice at the moment, so she became silent, determined to cry until she could cry no longer.

Her bedroom door opened, but she didn't notice. She didn't hear silk rustling as Jareth knelt down next to her, nor did she see the pity in his magnificent eyes.

Knowing that words wouldn't help the situation at all, Jareth wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close to him.

Sarah let out another sob and then turned in his arms. She grabbed hold of his shirt with both hands and then lowered her face to his chest.

"This is why," she sobbed into his shirt, her voice muffled, "I don't dream anymore."

"Shh…" he crooned, rocking slowly with her in his arms. He began to sing, his mouth close to her ear so that he nearly whispered the words. "There's such a sad love, deep in your eyes, a kind of pale jewel, open and close. Within your eyes, I'll place the sky, within your eyes…"

He continued to sing, and his heart leaped with pleasure when she began to sing quietly with him, moving her face away from his shirt and wiping her tears with her hands.

"As the pain sweeps through, makes no sense for you.

Every thrill has gone, wasn't too much fun at all.

But I'll be there for you,

As the world falls down."

"There now," Jareth smiled, pushing her hair out of her face when the song was finished. "Do you feel better?"

"Thank you, Jareth," Sarah sniffed, slowly standing up. "Jareth, would you please do something for me?"

"Anything," Jareth said, standing up in front of her.

"Help me dream again," Sarah whispered, looking up at him with bloodshot eyes. "I won't last if I can't dream."

"Darling," Jareth answered, eyes boring into hers. "That's why I am here."


	6. Dance Magic Dance

**Next chapter's up! Enjoy the magic! Thank you so much to everyone who's been giving me such uplifting reviews! You all are terrific! Please continue!**

**"The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams." – Eleanor Roosevelt**

**Chapter Six: Dance Magic Dance**

Sarah slept in the next morning, having received a call from her agency that, because of the previous trial, she was to have a few days off from work.

When she awoke, the first thing she noticed was the delicious smells drifting up to her from the kitchen. She sat up slowly, wiping the sleep away from her eyes, and then blinked several times. She then got out of bed, pulled a bathrobe over her pajamas, and made her way downstairs.

Jareth had, as a true gentleman and in compliance with Sarah's demands, slept outside of the house in his owl form. He had awakened as soon as the sun rose and had appeared in Sarah's kitchen, back in his Fae form. Knowing that she was still asleep and that she greatly needed her sleep, he had called upon his goblins and ordered that they assist him in preparing a divine breakfast.

Thus, when Sarah entered the kitchen, she found goblins rushing about the room, mixing things in bowls, cracking eggs, and playing with the gas stove. Jareth stood at the stove, flipping something that looked a great deal like pancakes, and he looked up at Sarah as soon as she entered the kitchen.

"Good morning," he bowed. "I trust you slept well?"

"Yes, thank you," Sarah said, watching as two goblins dumped some flour into a bowl and then yelped with surprise when the flour puffed up into their faces.

"I have plans for today, since you have off from work," Jareth said, stepping back as a goblin rushed past his feet.

"Do you now?" Sarah asked.

"Yes. There's a waterfall not too far away from here. If we want to get your imagination functioning properly, then I thought I'd bring you to a place where imagination is extremely easy to activate," Jareth said.

"You aren't going to let me wallow in misery, are you?" Sarah smiled, squeezing past him to get some juice out of the refrigerator.

To her surprise, he turned around, grabbed her by her hand and twirled her before he released her and let her get to the refrigerator.

"You really are happy to see me, aren't you?" She laughed, cheeks turning red as she opened the refrigerator.

"You doubted that?"

"It's just that, you can be so cruel," Sarah said, taking a jug of juice out and then closing the refrigerator.

Jareth turned to look at her, his eyes dark.

"Sarah," he said, his voice deep and desiring, "you have no idea."

Sarah shivered and then made her way into the dining room, feeling his eyes gazing intently into her as she did so.

"Now it's my turn to ask what I should wear," she said, sitting down at the table.

"I have the perfect outfit for you," Jareth said, unfolding a napkin and laying it gently on her lap.

Sarah watched him, flattered and pleased, as he sat down at the other end of the table and gestured for the goblins to enter the room. Jareth could see the admiration in her eyes, could see the rapid rise and fall of her chest. He smirked mischievously as the goblins hurriedly placed breakfast on the table.

"Would you care to see the dress I have chosen for you?" He asked, taking a sip of the red juice in his glass.

"Oh…yes please," Sarah smiled nervously, saying a quick prayer and then taking a bite of her fresh piece of bread.

Jareth smiled and waved his hand gracefully, sparks of glitter blowing towards Sarah as he did so. She felt an amazing floating sensation drift over her and found herself hovering over the floor, glitter swirling all about her.

The glitter disappeared, leaving Sarah standing on the floor, and she glanced down.

"Jareth!" she laughed, running her hands down the front of her white medieval dress. "What is this?"

"You haven't worn that dress in a terribly long time."

"Adults in my world don't run around in these outfits unless they're performing," Sarah said, looking up at him.

"You look stunning," Jareth said, standing up and moving towards her.

She shuddered as he circled her, two of his fingers on her neck. He moved his fingers, leaving a cool feeling resting on Sarah's skin. She put her hands to her neck and lifted up a beautiful gold chain necklace.

"It's beautiful!"

"One more thing," Jareth said thoughtfully, tapping his lips with his finger.

"What? What is it?" Sarah asked, turning in a circle to keep her eyes on his.

"Something's missing…"

To Sarah's surprise, Jareth stopped moving and then blew gently across the top of her head. A delightful, flowery smell filled the air, and then Jareth stopped blowing.

"There," he smiled. "A crown fit for a queen."

Sarah laughed with girlish delight and then ran to the mirror in the front sitting room. She looked in the mirror and then smiled with joy when she saw her crown. It was made of white and lavender flowers. Her long hair was pulled back in an intricate braid, tiny flowers lining the dark hair.

Her costume was any young girl's dream, and Sarah twirled, laughing joyously.

"You seem pleased," Jareth smiled from the doorway.

"Oh, thank you Jareth!" Sarah said with a curtsy.

"You must finish eating, and then we shall go to the waterfall."

"Where is it?" Sarah asked, skipping into the dining room.

"The Poconos."

Sarah sat down and finished eating, a bright light in her eyes. Jareth smiled with satisfaction as he watched the woman he loved, knowing that she was well on her way to recovery. She hadn't even noticed, when looking in the mirror, that she had no makeup. Already her girl-like enthusiasm was returning.

Sarah's thoughts were a jumbled, but happy, mess as goblins took her empty dishes from her and Jareth stepped over to her side. She was bewildered by all the magic occurring, and found that, for once, she was willing to put her problems to the side for a little while. Yes, she was still concerned about Jessica Lee, but Jareth was doing his best to take her mind off it, and he was succeeding.

Jareth put his hands on Sarah's shoulders and then they both disappeared from the dining room.

They arrived, seconds later, at the Poconos waterfall, and Sarah stepped away from Jareth and moved closer to the magnificent water.

It was summertime, so everything was green and lush surrounding the falls and pool of water. Birds sung merrily in the trees, filling Sarah's heart with song.

"This place," Jareth said, bending over and letting the water flow through his fingers, "is an excellent place for dreaming. Look about you and see what dreams you can imagine."

Sarah turned and gazed down at him, entranced by the way his white hair shone against the water. He looked up at her, his eyes piercing magnificently into hers. An unseen connection, a powerful understanding, passed suddenly between the two, permitting both of them to see into each other's minds.

Sarah caught a glimpse of Jareth's love for her. She saw just a tiny bit, but it was enough to send shudders through her.

Jareth saw the pain hidden inside of his beloved Sarah, and his own heart ached for her. He knew, however, that his Sarah of old, the one who dreamed up beautiful stories and imagined worlds that never were, was still there, deep inside, begging for him to pull her out.

"All right," Sarah said gently, turning back to look at the water. "I'm imagining that there is a unicorn in the woods, to the left of this pool."

She pointed and then closed her eyes tightly.

"He has a magnificent white coat and a glorious, shimmering white mane and tail. His horn is golden and sparkling in the sunlight that shines from the above foliage. He walks with a regal, majestic step, as though he's the king of all things magical."

A smile formed on her beautiful face, and she took a deep breath.

"Is that all?" Jareth asked from his seat on one of the boulders that sat inside the water.

"No," Sarah said, twirling, her eyes still closed. "There are fairies."

"Fairies?" Jareth frowned. "Nasty little creatures that bite?"

"No, _my _fairies," Sarah laughed. "They don't bite. They are some of the loveliest creatures in the world. They glitter in the sunlight and glow in the dark. They flit about like hummingbirds, so fast and so graceful. There are thousands of them, all surrounding the water."

Something swift and feathery light brushed against Sarah's cheek, and she opened her eyes and gasped with surprise.

There _were_ fairies, thousands of them, swirling in mini tornadoes across the pool and weaving in and out of the falls.

"Oh!" Sarah yelped with excitement. "Oh!"

She heard a laugh, an airy, magical laugh, coming from the side, and she turned to see Jareth whole-heartedly and joyfully laughing.

"Why are you laughing at me?" she grinned.

"You're always so stunned by the power of your imagination. Look," Jareth pointed. "Your unicorn."

Sarah turned and gasped again as a horse, strong and gorgeous, stepped slowly out of the woods. His ears twitched wildly as he looked at the fairies and then made his way towards the water, his horn shining gloriously in the sunlight.

"Oh, oh, Jareth!" Sarah stammered breathlessly. "Look at him!"

"Go touch him," Jareth said with a smile.

"I can touch him?"

"You could probably ride him if you just ask. He's from your imagination, Sarah."

Sarah watched as the magnificent stallion stepped cautiously into the water, the glorious liquid rippling about his radiant legs. She gazed, in thrilled amazement, as the unicorn lowered his head to the water and began to drink.

Carefully, Sarah walked towards the unicorn, stepping daintily into the water to get closer to him.

The majestic creature raised his head to look at her, dark brown eyes watching her approach.

"I won't hurt you," Sarah said breathlessly, reaching out with her hand and feeling the horse's breath. "I only want to pet you."

She moved even closer and timidly touched the creature's velvety nose with her hand. She began to stroke his face, relishing the feel of his silken coat under her hand.

The unicorn nuzzled her shoulder with his nose and then draped his head regally over her shoulder and pulled her gently against him.

Sarah let out a wistful sigh and then wrapped her arms around his white neck, hugging him gently.

"You are beautiful," she whispered, kissing his silken cheek and inhaling his scent.

Several minutes were spent with the unicorn, and then Sarah closed her eyes and let her imagination play again.

When she opened her eyes, she saw the unicorn turn away and then break into a gallop, soaring across the water and splashing the fairies as he flew. He then disappeared into the woods, leaving Sarah alone with the fairies and Jareth.

The fairies swarmed about her, whispering to her, begging her to come dance. They kissed her cheeks and played with her loose wisps of hair, pulling her closer to the water.

Sarah didn't want to get soaked, so with a bit more imagination, she stepped on top of the water and walked cautiously to the middle of the pool.

She began to dance, twirling with the fairies. Several of the tiny creatures grabbed her hands and moved them about, making it seem as though she was only dancing with one partner instead of hundreds. Colors swirled about her, intertwined with the water that the fairies spiraled into the air.

"What a dream," Sarah whispered, closing her eyes and letting the fairies and her feet carry her away. "What a marvelous, beautiful dream."

She felt thin leather, firm and cool, press gently into her hands. She didn't open her eyes as her hand was raised and placed to rest on a shoulder. She didn't peek as she was drawn closer to a solid form, and she didn't look as her body contacted another solid structure.

"You missed me terribly, didn't you?" A voice whispered in her ear, and Sarah opened her eyes to find Jareth right in front of her, gazing into her heart.

"In an odd sense," she smiled softly, letting him sweep her through the walls of fairies.

"An odd sense, my dear?" Jareth asked, moving his mouth to her cheek.

"With your return comes the return of my dreams. I'm still not entirely certain about you," Sarah said, struggling to remain composed when he was so close. "You still can be cruel. Perhaps you truly are here to steal away another child."

"I confess," Jareth said easily, moving his mouth close to hers. "I have come with the intent of stealing someone."

"And who might that be?" Sarah asked, eyes refusing to leave his.

"You."

"Jareth," Sarah said, holding up her hand in front of his mouth and shivering when he kissed her palm. "Stop. I'm not ready yet. I still have to decide whether you are really here, whether any of this is real. I could wake up tomorrow and find that this is all a marvelous dream and nothing more."

"But even if it is nothing more," Jareth smiled. "Don't you want to lose yourself in it?"

"Yes," Sarah said wistfully and then turned her face away from his.

"What are you dreaming of?" Jareth asked, and she turned her face to look at him again.

"I wasn't dreaming," she smiled. "I was remembering."

"Remembering what?"

"When I first saw you. I was absolutely terrified."

"Why ever so?" Jareth frowned.

"You appeared rather suddenly. I had always imagined what you might look like," Sarah said, "but imagining something and actually seeing it are two very different things."

"What did you think of me?"

"You would like to know that, wouldn't you?" Sarah grinned. "Perhaps one day, Goblin King, I will tell you. For now, all I wish is for this lovely dance to continue."

"Your eyes can be so cruel," Jareth chuckled. "We are matched perfectly, and one day, you'll admit that."

"Maybe," Sarah smiled and then pulled away from him. "I still find it hard to believe you are really here."

"My presence is a bit overwhelming," Jareth said, folding his arms across his chest and watching as the fairies flitted around Sarah.

"How you love to flatter yourself!" Sarah laughed and then twirled gaily. "This has been a lovely dream, but like all dreams, it cannot last forever."

"How wrong you are," Jareth said gently. "There are several dreams that can last forever, but you have refused them, and I cannot, as of yet, offer them to you again."

"This has been wonderful," Sarah said, "but we shall soon have tourists, and what would they think of a Goblin King, fairies, and a medieval princess all dancing about in the Poconos?"

"They shall believe themselves insane, therefore we needn't bother with them," Jareth grinned, moving towards her. "Perhaps we should leave."

He placed his hands on Sarah's shoulders and the waterfall and pool disappeared from sight. It was replaced, seconds later, by the living room of Sarah's house.

"First princes, princesses, and pirates, and now fairies and unicorns. What next, Goblin King?" Sarah asked, turning to see Jareth seated casually on one of the couches.

"I shall leave the next dream to you. Did you know, Sarah," he asked somewhat flippantly as he toyed with one of his crystals, "that there are dreams coming true and miracles occurring all about you on a daily basis, but you are too busy to notice?"

"Are there?" Sarah asked, sitting down in a chair across from him.

"Yes," Jareth nodded. "There are things that happen without imagination that can be described as the fulfilling of dreams or the occurrence of miracles. When you work with the children, for example. How many times have you stopped and rejoiced over one child that you were able to save from an abusive home? How thankful are you for that one orphan who takes your hand and smiles up at you? Those things are miracles that happen frequently, but you fail to see them."

"They are so tarnished by the bad things that happen," Sarah sighed.

"You used to be so full of life and excited because you could dream and see the good things that were happening all around you. Have the past several years really been so harsh?"

"I don't really want to discuss it," Sarah frowned. "Social work is difficult, Jareth, and whether or not you communicate with the children involved in it, you can never fully understand what I go through every day."

Jareth didn't answer, but laid his head back against the couch and let his magnificent eyes close.

"There is so much more for you to see if you'd only open your eyes and heart, my precious Sarah," he said presently, his breathing slow and steady.

"Are you feeling well, Jareth?" Sarah asked with concern, watching as the Goblin King slipped down so that he was lying on the couch.

"Why the concern for a mere illusion?" Jareth yawned.

"Because you are helping me bring back my dreams, whether or not you are here!" Sarah exclaimed, walking over to him and gazing down at him. "Goblin King, are you all right?"

"I do love your concern for me," Jareth chuckled, eyes still closed as he stretched out and pulled a folded blanket onto his body. "You should attempt to travel from one world to the next and change into an owl every night, Sarah. See how well you feel after turning the world upside down and altering time. I would think you'd be a bit tired also."

"You're just tired," Sarah frowned, moving away from him. "I don't know why I didn't see that."

"Because you immediately jump to the most severe conclusions. Would it trouble you so much if I was dying?" Jareth asked, a smirk on his face.

"No. No it wouldn't!" Sarah snapped. "I never could understand you! One minute you'd be dashing and wondrous, and the next you're just a regular…regular clown!"

"Perhaps you should rest as well, Sarah," Jareth said tiredly. "You do seem to have the most flighty emotions."

"Ah!" Sarah growled and then began to walk out of the room. "I don't even know why I let you in the house to begin with!"

"Because you couldn't bear to see me leave," Jareth smiled and then fell asleep, the smile still on his face.


	7. HeavenSent Miracle

Chapter Seven: Heaven-sent Miracle

**Not everything magical has to be part of a dream or part of your imagination. There are magical things happening every day that we'd see if only we looked. Enjoy this chapter! I know it's a bit different, so I'd love to know what you think! What do you think about Jareth and Sarah so far? Please review! Have a terrific week!**

"**There are some people who live in a dream world, and there are some who face reality; and then there are those who turn one into the other." – Douglas H. Everett**

**Chapter Seven: Heaven-sent Miracle**

Sarah wasn't quite sure _what _to make of all the strange happenings that had occurred over only two days. As Jareth slept, she paced, trying to sort out everything in her mind. The Goblin King had appeared in her parents' room, just like he had years ago, had brought her into the Labyrinth, just as before, and was now following her everywhere, sprinkling magic wherever he went. Sarah was beginning to see images that weren't really there, she concluded. The ships on the ocean and the unicorn at the waterfall had only been caused by some extreme stress. She hadn't really been at the Poconos at all. Her mind was finally beginning to erode, and there was nothing she could do about.

Well…maybe there was _one _thing she could do.

Sarah walked into the kitchen and took out a container of ground coffee beans. Within only a couple of minutes, she had begun brewing a large pot of coffee. Coffee always seemed to help her stressed nerves. Just the aroma was enough for her to let out a relaxed sigh, releasing a great deal of pressure. After she drank a few cups of coffee, she was sure, Jareth would be gone and everything would be back to normal.

As soon as the coffee was made, Sarah poured herself a cup and then brought it into the living room. She sat down on a large recliner and then took a sip of her steaming drink, looking over the rim of her mug at Jareth as he did so.

He looked like the closest thing to an angel she could think of at that moment. He had changed sleeping positions, since she had been in the kitchen, and was now lying on his side, face towards her, several strands of silken white hair resting over his left eye.

"Never trust the look of innocence," Sarah whispered to herself as she finished the contents in her coffee mug.

One and a half mugs later, she shook her head and gazed at Jareth again.

_He should be gone by now,_ she thought to herself. _That's almost three cups of coffee, and he's still here! Come on, Goblin King! Vanish! Disappear and help me see that I'm not going entirely insane!_

Jareth didn't move. If anything, he looked more angelic than he had one and a half mugs before.

Sarah sighed and put her mug on a coffee table. She stood up and moved over to his sleeping form. She was tempted to reach out and touch him, proving to herself, once again, that he truly was here and he was real.

One touch wouldn't hurt, she decided. Slowly, in a trancelike state, she moved a trembling hand to the strands of hair that rested over his eye. Shaking uncontrollably, she gently moved her fingers to the silken strands and was startled by their smoothness. She could feel the hair beneath her fingertips as she carefully brushed them away from Jareth's eye, and as soon as was finished, she raised her hand to her open mouth in disbelief. She began to shake her head, tears rolling down her cheeks.

"You are real," she whispered to herself. "All those years I wasn't really going mad! There really was a Goblin King, and he really did claim to love me!"

Jareth breathed deeply and then moved his head so that he was facing the ceiling again. Unable to resist, Sarah reached out and touched him again, reaffirming his presence. This time she let her fingers trace his cheek, curious as to how it would feel beneath her hand. His skin was smooth and cool to the touch, and none of the shimmer that graced his cheeks came off and shone on Sarah's fingers.

_He's beautiful, just as I always imagined, _she thought to herself, moving her other hand to join its comrade in touching the Goblin King's face.

Sarah couldn't stop the tremble in her fingers as she lightly touched Jareth's face, amazed at the reality of his presence. He wasn't just another dream come back to haunt her. He was a man, or at least, partly a man, lying on a couch before her, intent on making her believe in him once more.

Sarah lightly moved her fingers to his hair again, marveling at the silkiness of it as she pushed it gently away from his forehead. She was entirely unprepared when he suddenly reached up and grabbed her wrists, stopping her hands from moving. She gasped and instinctively jerked back, but his grip was hard.

He opened his eyes and looked up at her, not in the least bit surprised to find her standing there.

"Couldn't resist, could you?" he smirked.

"You…you weren't awake that whole…whole time, were you?" Sarah stammered.

"And if I had been? Admit to yourself that you're glad I'm here and you do have some feelings for me," Jareth said with a sigh, sitting up and still holding on to her. "Was that not a caress you were just so delicately giving to me?" he asked as he stood up.

He wasn't much taller than she was, but at that moment, in the embarrassment of the situation, he looked enormous to her.

"It was not!" she snapped, trying to put some fire into her voice to help her recover from such a terrible downfall. "I was just…just…moving the hair out of your face! It must have been mildly uncomfortable in your eyes. Jareth, why do you have to go and make every situation so complicated?"

"Do those stories always work?" Jareth asked, eyes sparkling merrily. "You were touching me to see that I was real. Don't try and save yourself, Sarah. I know exactly what you were doing."

He let go of her wrists and then turned away, looking out the living room window as he did so.

"I must have been asleep for quite some time. The sun is setting."

His hair looked like gold in the dimming sunlight, and Sarah was left speechless. She didn't know what to say to him, how to explain that what she had been doing was nothing intimate in the slightest way. She couldn't comprehend the true reasons why he had returned to her. Yes, he had come to help her dream again, but in the deepest recesses of his often-cold heart, he had come because he loved her, and she couldn't see that.

"Shall I have the goblins prepare something for dinner?" Jareth asked, not turning away from the window.

"I suppose so," Sarah said quietly.

"You needn't be ashamed, Sarah. I understand what your intentions were for touching me. They were entirely honorable," Jareth said, turning to look at her, his eyes burning deeply into hers. "It is hard for you to believe what you see, for up until now, you believed me to be entirely a being of your imagination."

Sarah didn't speak but allowed him to lead her to the dining room table. She was still too ashamed to say a word as he pulled her chair out for her and then pushed her in once she was seated.

Goblins suddenly entered the room, carrying steaming covered dishes with haunting aromas drifting from them. They placed dishes, silverware and a glass before Sarah and then gently put a napkin on her lap.

Sarah could not stop looking at Jareth as he opened one of the trays of food and then gestured for one of the goblins to dish out some of the meat for Sarah.

He was fascinating in every sense of the word. The way his face shimmered in the dim lighting entranced Sarah. The way his eyes danced, sometimes looking bright and mischievous and other times looking captivating and passionate, sent trembles through her body.

He raised his eyes to meet hers, one fine eyebrow cocked with curiosity. Sarah blushed and began to eat, keeping her eyes on her food.

When the meal was finished, goblins hurriedly cleared the table, wiped it down, and then disappeared, leaving Jareth and Sarah alone again.

"You, my darling, look exhausted," Jareth said, standing up from the table as Sarah did.

"It has been a long day," Sarah sighed, putting her hand to her forehead.

"Truth is not always simple to believe," Jareth said, walking to the front entranceway and reaching out to open the front door.

"Wait, please," Sarah said timidly, making an effort to look into his eyes again and not blush.

"What does my queen wish?" Jareth asked and smiled faintly when Sarah shuddered in reaction.

"I want to see you…see you transform."

"You have once already," Jareth frowned, moving his hand off the doorknob.

"But would you do it again, once more, for me?" Sarah asked.

"Perhaps if you recompense me a bit for it," Jareth said, turning and walking towards her.

"It would depend on the pay you request," Sarah said, taking a step back as he neared her.

"I request something simple, something not too difficult for you," Jareth said, stopping when his body nearly touched hers.

"What is it you wish?" Sarah whispered, cowering slightly at his closeness.

"One touch from you is all I desire."

Sarah bit her lip uncertainly. It wouldn't be difficult at all to touch him, but it would be so awkward! Yes, she had already, as he said, "caressed" his face, but he had been asleep. Now he was gazing at her steadily, waiting for her to respond.

"Well," she said quietly to herself, "he didn't say how or where I was to touch him. All right, Goblin King," she said firmly, looking up at him and bracing herself. "I'll do it."

She stepped closer to him, shivering slightly as their bodies contacted each other, and then reached up and gently placed a quivering hand on his face.

"There," she stammered. "I've touched you."

Jareth closed his eyes and sucked in a deep, satisfied breath. He then nuzzled his face against her hand and slowly moved his face back and forth against her fair skin.

"Jareth!" Sarah stuttered uncomfortably. "Really now, I…"

Jareth moved his face only an inch or so away from her hand and then lowered his lips to her fingers. Slowly, delicately, he kissed each fingertip, silencing her and sending shivers all up and down her spine.

"Jareth," Sarah whispered hoarsely. "Please stop."

Jareth stood up and took a long step back from her. He bowed, part of his cape in hand, and was then enveloped by a swirl of glitter. In the midst of the swirl, Sarah could see him transforming, his flesh becoming feathers and his arms becoming wings.

The glitter vanished, leaving a barn owl, wings flapping wildly, in its wake.

"Amazing," Sarah said quietly and then went to the front door. She opened it and then watched as Jareth flew out into the night sky.

Sarah's fingers were still tingling as she crawled into her bed a short time later. She didn't fall asleep immediately, but gazed up at the ceiling. She tried focusing her thoughts on social cases, but found that her mind kept wandering to a pair of mismatched eyes and those kisses. Oh, those kisses! How the Fae could infuriate her one moment and leave her speechless the next entirely bewildered Sarah.

She fell asleep, several minutes later, with Jareth on her mind.

The phone rang at 4:30 the next morning, and Sarah rolled over in her bed and picked the phone up, eyes squeezed shut tightly.

"Hello?" She asked groggily, refusing to open her eyes.

"Sarah, this is Elaine."

"What's up?" _It better be something important, _Sarah complained to herself.

"Tara is about to have her baby, and she specifically requested that you be there."

"She's having the baby now? Tonight?" Sarah exclaimed, eyes popping open.

She swung out of bed, blankets falling all around her, and raced about her room, pulling clothes out of her closet and throwing her purse on her bed.

"Yes, Sarah. The doctors say she has a little less than an hour before the baby's here. Are you going to be able to make it?"

"Of course!" Sarah shouted, pulling a skirt up over her pajama pants. "How's Tara doing?"

"Not so well, but how would you be doing if you were only seventeen and having a baby?"

"It's too early for sarcasm," Sarah frowned, throwing a jacket on over her shirt. "Tell Tara I'm on my way."

"Will do."

Sarah hung the phone up, grabbed her purse, and then raced out of her room and down the stairs. She unlocked the front door and then rushed outside, slipping her feet into a pair of sneakers along the way. She then slammed the door shut, locked it, and ran full speed towards her car.

Not a single thought of Jareth entered her mind as she started her car and drove into the darkness, heart beating rapidly with excitement. Being there for mothers when they delivered their babies was one of the highlights of being a social worker. Sarah had, over the course of moving out of her teenage years and into her adulthood, come to love and cherish babies rather than despise them, and she enjoyed seeing newborns right after their birth.

As soon as she arrived at the hospital, Sarah took an elevator to the fourth floor and then jogged to Tara's room. She knocked once on the door and then walked inside, closing the door behind her.

Tara was lying on the delivery bed; sweat streaming down her young face and her chest heaving up and down rapidly with a mixture of panic and pain.

"Miss Sarah!" she gasped, letting go of Elaine's hand when Sarah stepped towards her. "You're here!"

"The doctor said she has about fifteen minutes left to go," Elaine said, standing up and pushing a chair towards Sarah.

"How's she doing?" Sarah asked, turning to face the doctor who stood at the end of the bed.

"Very well," the doctor smiled. "Just a little while more, Tara, and you'll be fine."

"I think I'm dying!" Tara nearly screamed as another contraction overcame her.

"Shh… You're not dying," Sarah said, sitting next to her and taking one of her hands. "Don't concentrate so much on the problem."

"How can I concentrate on anything else?" Tara groaned.

"Pretend you're in a different place, like a beach or a waterfall, maybe," Sarah said. "Think about how gently the water moves or how sweet the air smells. Just…"

"Ah!" Tara screamed, and Sarah nearly jumped out of her seat.

"Tara!" Sarah exclaimed. "Calm down! The pain you're feeling is natural! It will all be over with soon! Please don't make the doctor, Elaine and me deaf! I beg you!"

"Looks like that baby will be out here sooner than we thought," one of the nurses said from the receiving end.

"I'm going to die! I'm going to die!" Tara wailed, squeezing Sarah's hand with a death grip when another contraction racked her body.

"With a grip like that, I'm going to die too!" Sarah said light-heartedly.

Tara laughed for a few seconds and then let out another moan and went back into her dying mindset.

Five minutes later, the doctors and nurses were all in a rush about the bed. The scene nearly became one of chaos, but Sarah didn't notice. She focused entirely on Tara, talking to her, squeezing her hand gently, and encouraging her. None of her actions seemed to help much, for Tara was in full labor and could hardly hear Sarah, never mind be comforted by her.

Tara screamed when her last contraction seized her, but she almost immediately became silent when she heard another scream, which sounded much like the meow of a kitten, echoing her own.

"She's here," one of the doctors said with a sigh of relief as he walked to Tara's side. "You have a daughter, sweetheart."

Tara let go of Sarah's hand and reached out to take the bundle of screaming baby that the doctor was handing to her.

"Shh…" she whispered, looking down at the face of her newborn daughter. "Shh….little Ashlyn. It's all right. Mommy's here."

Tears formed in Sarah's eyes as she watched the teenager cuddle her daughter in her arms. The baby continued to cry, and one of the nurses quickly instructed Tara on how to care for her daughter.

"Miss Sarah," Tara said, looking up at Sarah once Ashlyn was nourished. "I want to keep her. I know I signed the papers to give her away, but I just can't. She's my baby. I have to keep her."

"I am glad to hear you say that," Sarah smiled softly, running a finger gently across the baby's forehead. "I'll see to it that you keep her. Elaine, can I talk to you for a minute please?"

Elaine stood up from her chair and followed Sarah to a corner of the room.

"Did you call her parents?" Sarah whispered, looking over to see Tara smiling at her baby and talking to her.

"Yes. They are on their way here."

"I do hope they won't behave like they did when they heard about the pregnancy," Sarah sighed, pushing a strand of hair out of her face. "They wanted the baby dead."

"If they do anything dangerous, we'll make them leave," Elaine said easily.

"It's always that simple, isn't it?" Sarah yawned. "I'm going to go outside for a few minutes. I need a bit of fresh air. It's stuffy in here, and the air will wake me up more."

Sarah stepped out of the room, eyes shut as she closed the door behind her. She opened her eyes and gasped when she saw a man sitting in a chair across the way from her, one leg crossed over the other, black leather pants and a black leather jacket giving him a somewhat dark appearance.

"Really now," Jareth said, standing up. "I thought we came to an understanding that I was to accompany you everywhere."

"I forgot about you," Sarah said tiredly, trying to step past him.

"What?" he scowled, stepping in front of her to block her.

"Jareth, it's hardly past five o'clock in the morning," Sarah yawned. "I was woken up rather unexpectedly. How could you expect me to remember you?"

"Sarah, how can you possibly ever forget me?"

"Oh please," Sarah snorted. "Tara had her baby. You would definitely not have been allowed in there even if I had remembered to bring you. Please let me out to get some fresh air. Her parents are going to be here soon, and my mind needs to be clear. Last time I saw them, they were absolute monsters."

"Sarah, you've just witnessed a miracle and haven't even taken the time to realize it," Jareth said gently, not moving.

"A miracle?"

"The miracle of birth is a heaven-sent miracle. It is one of the most beautiful dreams in all the world, and yet you have failed to see it as such."

"Well, that happens when I'm tired," Sarah said and then put her hand to his shoulder, trying to push him a bit so she could step past him.

"Sarah," Jareth said deeply, taking her hand and pulling her to him.

"What? What are you doing?" Sarah frowned as she looked up into his face.

"Stop for just a minute. A dream has just come true in front of your very eyes. Think about that for a moment."

Sarah stopped struggling and gazed at his face. A short strand of blonde hair was lying against his blue eye, and she reached up gently and pushed the strand away, her finger tracing across his forehead as she did so. She recalled how she had traced the baby's forehead with the same finger, and then smiled softly. Yes, the birth of the baby had been a miracle and a beautiful, beautiful dream. It was such an amazing thing when a new person came into the world, so innocent and trusting. The beauty of Ashlyn's birth was even more magnified because Tara had been a crisis pregnancy situation, and yet, even with pressure from her parents and from her peers, she had decided to give birth and keep her child.

"You are right," Sarah nodded. "That was a miracle. Touching that baby was like a beautiful dream come true. I've always wanted a baby myself, and touching Ashlyn just sent shivers through me. She is so beautiful and lovable. I should have thought of it that way, but I suppose I just thought of it as another part of my job."

"My Sarah, that wishes away babies when she's frustrated, wants one of her own?" Jareth chuckled.

"Funny, isn't it?" Sarah smiled.

The door to Tara's room opened, and Elaine stuck her head out.

"Sarah!"

"Oh!" Sarah gasped, pushing away from Jareth and blushing furiously. "Yes…yes…Elaine?"

"Who is that?" Elaine asked, eyes wide and a mischievous smirk on her face.

"You remember Mr. Jareth?" Sarah asked, her cheeks burning with embarrassment.

"Of course I do! What are you doing here at this time of night, Mr. Jareth?" Elaine smiled at him.

"I was informed that one of Sarah's clients had a baby," Jareth said, pulling two gorgeous bouquets of roses out from behind his back.

"She did, but you didn't have to come! Not that we mind, of course," Elaine said. "Sarah, Tara wants to go into the bathroom and freshen up. She wants to know if you'll hold Ashlyn for her."

"Definitely," Sarah stammered, stepping past Elaine into the room and not daring to look back at Jareth.

"You can come in now too, Mr. Jareth," Elaine beamed at him.

"Thank you. I believe I shall," Jareth said with a curt bow of his head.

"Thank you for taking her, Miss Sarah," Tara said, watching as Sarah sat down in the chair next to her. "I really need to take a shower."

"No problem at all. Tara, this is my…acquaintance…Jareth," Sarah said. "I must admit, I haven't held a baby that small in a long time. How do I go about…"

"Like so," Elaine said, taking Sarah's arms and positioning them for her.

Tara leaned over and gently placed Ashlyn in Sarah's arms. Sarah didn't even notice as Tara went into the bathroom. Her eyes were fixated on the sleeping baby in her arms, cuddled up and cute. It felt so wonderful, so much like a…like a dream, to have a baby resting in her arms.

"How precious," Sarah whispered, not noticing as Jareth came up behind her and looked over her shoulder at Ashlyn. "How perfect and pure."

"A dream in your arms, Sarah, and you didn't even have to imagine it," Jareth whispered in her ear and then rested his chin on her shoulder.

He felt Sarah's neck quiver under his touch, but she was too absorbed in the baby and too tired to argue with him. He let his breath creep along her neck, tickling each tiny hair that lined her silken skin, and was pleased to find that she didn't scold him. Indeed, she seemed hardly to notice him as she stroked Ashlyn's head with one of her fingers and then leaned over and kissed the baby on the forehead.

When Tara came back out of the bathroom, she was showered and in a clean pair of clothes. She climbed back onto the bed and then took Ashlyn, smiling pleasantly at Sarah and then trying to hold conversation with Jareth.

The pleasant conversation was cut short when the door to the room opened and in walked Mr. and Mrs. Gregory, Tara's parents.

"Mr. and Mrs. Gregory! Hello!" Sarah said, immediately standing up protectively in front of Tara and the baby.

"Hello!" Mrs. Gregory smiled warmly, tears in her eyes. "I understand why you stand in front of my daughter, but please, we mean her no harm. Tara, my darling child, I am so sorry for the terrible way I reacted to your pregnancy. Please forgive me. We all make mistakes, and I should have been more forgiving of you. Please, my beautiful daughter, forgive me, and don't give the baby away. We will help you take care of her."

Sarah stepped aside and watched as father and mother approached their daughter, tears streaming down all three of their cheeks.

"Tara, we love you baby," Mr. Gregory said, putting his hand on Tara's head and then leaning over and kissing her on the cheek.

"And look at our precious granddaughter!" Mrs. Gregory cried happily. "Oh, Tara, she's the most beautiful baby in the world! What did you name her?"

"Ashlyn," Tara smiled brightly through her tears. "After you, Mother. I had hoped that if I gave her your name, you would like her."

"Oh, my poor, poor child!" Mrs. Gregory bawled. "I would have loved her anyway and you know it! I love you so much! Oh, I love you my daughter!"

"Excuse me, but I think we should be going now," Sarah said, gesturing to Elaine. "Congratulations, Tara."

"Yes! Congratulations!" Elaine smiled and then left the room.

As soon as Sarah and Jareth left the room and began walking down the hallway, tears began to pour from Sarah's eyes.

"Sarah, whatever is the matter?" Jareth asked, glancing at her from the side.

"It's just that, the whole incident was so, so beautiful. To see a newborn baby and the love her mother has for her is just wonderful. This is why I cannot quit my job, no matter how hard I try sometimes," Sarah cried. "Because even after I've been through things that no one should ever have to see, let alone work with, things like new babies or adopted children come along, and I just can't leave!"

"I'm sure it's quite difficult," Jareth said, pulling a handkerchief out of his jacket and handing it to her. "But someone has to do it, and you, my dear Sarah, tolerate so much and ask for so little."

"Why are you always so nice to me?" Sarah asked as they stepped into an elevator. "I turned you down years ago, I stomped on your pride, and I still mock you far too often."

"Sarah, did you think I was lying when I told you I would become your slave, when I sang to you about mornings of gold and Valentine evenings?" Jareth asked, leaning back against the wall of the elevator, his eyes closed.

"You were the Goblin King," Sarah said, wiping away her tears and then handing the handkerchief to Jareth. "You were frightening and cruel. I was only fifteen. I didn't quite know what to think of you."

"And what do you think of me now?" Jareth asked as the elevator door opened and they stepped out.

"I don't know," Sarah said, shaking her head. "One thing's for certain, you still have the greatest amount of pride I've ever seen in a man."

"A king is permitted to enjoy certain luxuries which others cannot," Jareth said, moving a few strands of blonde out of his face. "If he doesn't have pride, he feels lost."

Sarah considered the events of the morning as she and Jareth left the hospital and got into her car. She was grateful that Tara and her parents wanted to keep the baby and that everything had worked out for the best. She couldn't help but consider, as she drove, how thoughtful Jareth had been about the whole situation. He had a deep insight that Sarah had never known he had. His thoughts on Ashlyn's birth and acceptance by her mother had been simple and yet deep. Had it not been for him, Sarah would never have thought of the situation in that light. It seemed she had a great deal to learn from the Goblin King.


	8. Brownies for Breakfast

**Yay! Another chapter is up! I just recently updated my profile page, and I have put three different challenges on it for those of you who like challenges! Make sure to check it out! Enjoy this chapter, and please review! I am so glad so many of you are enjoying this story! Thank you to everyone who has been giving me input!**

"**If one is lucky, a solitary fantasy can totally transform one million realities." – Maya Angelou**

**Chapter Eight: Brownies for Breakfast**

Sarah parked the car in front of her house several minutes later and looked to her side to see Jareth fast asleep, his head resting on the car window.

"Jareth," Sarah said quietly, reaching over and tapping him gently on the shoulder. "Jareth, we are back at the house."

Jareth opened his eyes tiredly and looked at her, glitter beginning to swirl around him as he did so. He sat up and then unbuckled his seatbelt. By the time he opened the car door and stepped out, he was fully transformed back into his normal Goblin King self.

Sarah got out of the car and then unlocked the front door of the house. She stepped inside, placed her purse on a chair, and then watched as Jareth walked into the house and made his way into the living room. She then closed the door and followed him. She watched as the great king fell ungracefully onto the living room couch and then let his eyes close again.

"I didn't realize goblin kings needed so much sleep," Sarah teased, pulling a blanket off the arm of the couch and then draping it over Jareth's long body. "I thought they stayed awake most of the time and fought battles."

She stepped back and couldn't help but smile at the contentment on Jareth's face. He was rather handsome, when she felt like admitting it to herself.

"I may as well make us something for breakfast," Sarah said and then left the room.

She stepped into the kitchen and then opened her refrigerator. She found a carton of eggs and then opened the freezer to find a pack of bacon.

The kitchen was very quiet as Sarah prepared a pot of coffee and then placed a pan on the kitchen stove.

"I do need to start imagining again," she said quietly to herself as she cracked some eggs open over the pan. "I want to be able to see things the way Jareth does. I want to notice when miracles are occurring all around me. All right, imagination. Let's start working again."

Sarah closed her eyes for a moment and tried to pull out some form of a daydream from the rusty recesses of her imagination.

"It is rather quiet in here," she said to herself, squeezing her eyes shut tightly. "I could use some company and someone to make the bacon. That's it! I need some Brownies!" She opened her eyes and then put some mushrooms, peppers and cheese in with the eggs. "There are Brownies in the kitchen," she said aloud. "They are rushing about the countertops, helping me get the bacon ready."

She looked hopefully over the counters and was dismayed to find that the only things occupying the kitchen spaces were eggshells, a couple of bowls, milk, and her pot of coffee.

"Well, I tried," she said, shrugging her shoulders and turning her attention back to the eggs.

Something moving caught the corner of her eye, and Sarah turned her head to look at the containers of flour, sugar, and salt next to the refrigerator. The containers were of all different sizes and were all in the shape of cows. She saw a tiny face peeking out at her from behind one of the cows and gasped with surprise, nearly dropping her spoon onto the floor.

The little creature next to the cow made a silly face at her and then stepped out from his hiding place. He was a little man, not much taller than five inches, and wore the most outrageous assortment of clothing Sarah had ever seen. He had the top of an acorn for a hat, a brown leaf for a shirt, and the hide of a mouse for shorts.

"Are you…are you…a Brownie?" Sarah asked, leaning down to have a closer look at the little man.

"Of course I'm a Brownie!" he said indignantly, folding his tiny arms across his chest. "What did you think I was? A fairy?"

"No! Not at all!" Sarah said. "I just…I just didn't think my imagination would work!"

"I'm here with my men. Where's the bacon?" The Brownie quipped, frowning up at her.

"It's over there," Sarah said, pointing to the counter next to the stove.

"Very good. Men! We have work to do!" the Brownie chirped, and five more Brownies rushed out from behind the containers.

Sarah tried to pay attention to the eggs, but she found her concentration constantly being interrupted by the Brownies. They were the most interesting creatures she had ever seen, and she was fascinated with every movement they made. They had a little assembly line going next to her on the stove, and she watched them with delight as they worked, five of them singing a little song the entire time.

"Oh we are Brownies, yes we five,

Look at us all come alive!

Leaf throws the bacon. Chirp pats it down,

Sparrow flips the meat when it's all good and brown.

Watch your toes Fire, as the bacon's in the pan.

Move it to the plate Mouse 'cause you're the man.

Take another piece and let it sizzle,

Look alert now, for the leader is Quizzle."

"How absolutely amazing," Sarah said in awe as the little fellows went about their work.

A burning smell began to drift up from the stove, and Sarah glanced down to see that her eggs were quickly becoming brown.

"Oh!" she exclaimed and began to flip them onto a plate. "That's what happens when you don't pay attention," she scolded herself as she turned her burner off and then watched as the Brownies marched in a line towards her pan.

"Shall we clean it, Miss?" Quizzle asked, looking up at her.

"Oh, yes please!" Sarah smiled. "You are welcome to have some of the eggs and bacon. You deserve it."

"Thank you, my lady. I'll let the gents have the bacon. I'm on a diet," Quizzle said, puffing out his chest proudly.

"Do you drink coffee?" Sarah asked.

"Oh yes!" Quizzle shouted, his eyes growing wide. "We love coffee!"

"I'll get you some coffee then," Sarah laughed and then turned away from the stove.

She jumped when she saw Jareth standing directly in front of her, an eyebrow arched and his arms folded across his chest.

"You offered coffee to the Brownies?" he asked, his eyes shining with mischief.

"Yes," Sarah stuttered uncertainly, surprised that he was awake and so close to her.

"Very well. It's your kitchen," he said with a shrug.

"What do you mean?" Sarah asked, watching as the Brownies carried the egg pan across the floor and then climbed up to the sink with it.

"After drinking coffee, Brownies are prone to be quite troublesome, or do you not recall that from your memory?" Jareth asked.

"I'm just pleased that I was able to imagine them here!" Sarah said shortly, turning away from him. "You are the one who wanted me to start dreaming again."

"Of course I did," Jareth smiled, putting his hands on her shoulders and moving his mouth to her ear. "And you did a splendid job for your first time without me."

"This does mean that you'll have to leave soon, doesn't it?" Sarah asked, sucking in a deep breath as he traced the curve of her ear with his lips.

"So eager to get rid of me?"

"What made you think I wanted you to be here in the first place?"

Jareth stepped back and frowned. "You think _I'm_ confusing."

"Oh we are six, look at us mix!

Coffee rich and deep!

Yummy, yummy, it's good for our tummy!

See how far we leap!"

Sarah gasped and dropped down to the floor as two of the Brownies suddenly leaped from the sink top to the stove, sailing across the air as though they were flying. Their other comrades joined them, and then all six of them began to jump back and forth through the kitchen, knocking down pots and pans in their flight.

"I should have known better than to give caffeine to Brownies!" Sarah yelped as one of them landed on her head, did a jig, and then leaped onto one of the counters. "Jareth, get rid of them!"

"You imagined them here. Why ask me for help?" Jareth laughed from the kitchen doorway.

"Because, I can't control my dreaming yet! Help!" Sarah shouted as another pan fell off the counter, nearly hitting her on the head.

"Close your eyes, Sarah, and imagine them away," Jareth said simply.

Sarah let out an aggravated sigh and then did as she was told. She yelped as another Brownie landed on her head, and squeezed her eyes shut more tightly, trying to blot out the distractions.

"All right, Brownies," she said to herself. "You aren't here anymore. Back to your little world you go, and take some of the coffee with you."

The noise stopped, and Sarah opened her eyes.

The counters were clean of all their messes, the bacon and eggs were arranged intricately on two plates, and not a single Brownie was anywhere to be seen.

"I'm afraid I still have much to learn," Sarah sighed, standing up and taking the two plates of food off the counters. "Breakfast, Jareth?"

The phone rang while Sarah and Jareth were at the table, and Sarah excused herself. She answered the phone and then smiled when Elaine's cheerful voice was heard.

"Good morning, Sarah! How would you like to come watch a movie with me this afternoon?"

"I don't know…" Sarah said uncertainly, looking over at Jareth. "I sort of have a guest with me, and I don't think he wants to come see a movie with us."

"Is it Jareth?" Elaine nearly squealed.

"Yes," Sarah sighed with irritation and then watched as Jareth stood up and moved towards her.

"Ask him to come along."

"Elaine, I don't know what you are thinking about all of this, but I assure you, Jareth and my relationship is strictly friendly," Sarah said and then stepped back as Jareth came to a stop next to her.

"Oh really? Ask him to come, Sarah."

"But…"

"I'd be delighted," Jareth spoke.

"Was that him?" Elaine asked.

"Yes!" Sarah groaned in aggravation. "We'll meet you at the theater. When did you want us to come?"

"Does three o' clock sound okay?"

"Yes. I'll see you there."

Sarah hung up the phone and then turned to Jareth, her face red.

"Jareth, I don't want you going everywhere with me! People are going to start talking, and I don't want that at all! Besides, you don't even know what a movie is! How do you know you want to come?"

"Sarah," Jareth purred, causing the hairs on the back of Sarah's neck to stand on end. "I would want to go anywhere with you."

"Oh stop it!" Sarah said shortly. "I feel like I'm chained to you. I do need some privacy, you know!"

"You get your private time at night," Jareth said, leaning against the wall, his face tilted towards hers. "I'm being extremely generous in giving you that. I could just take you away to the Labyrinth, and then you'd have no time to yourself at all."

"Why do you have to be so confusing?" Sarah groaned, letting her back rest against the wall. "One day I'll wake up to find this was all a bad dream, or the result of some indigested spinach."

"Enjoy the dream while it lasts," Jareth said, gently running his leather-clad fingers against her cheek. "You'll miss me when I'm gone."

Sarah closed her eyes as he brushed his fingers against her soft skin, his magic working its soothing calm on her.

"Jareth," she murmured. "Why do you love me so?"

"Why?" Jareth asked, smiling, as she didn't fight his touch. He moved closer to her, raising both hands to her face, and then moved his nose to hers. "Because you have such spirit. You are independent-minded, my darling Sarah, and have an imagination that few people seem to possess. I am captivated by your beauty and your dreams."

"Jareth," Sarah said tiredly.

"Hmm?" he asked, moving his mouth slowly to hers.

"Kiss me and I'll kill you."

Jareth stepped away, a smirk playing about his lips as Sarah opened her eyes.

"We have a movie to go to in only a few hours," Sarah said, pushing off of the wall. "Before then, I need to call my parents and take care of a mess in my room. While I do that, you can stay right there in the living room. Let me have a few hours to myself. I won't leave the house."

She slipped past him and made her way up to her room.

Sarah was trembling as she entered her room and closed the door behind her. She closed her eyes and went over to her bed. She was still very tired from the early morning's adventure at the hospital, and she collapsed on her bed and picked up the phone on her night table. She dialed a number and then spoke for several minutes with her father, Karen, and Toby.

As soon as the phone call was finished, Sarah put the phone down and then cuddled up on her bed with her Ludo stuffed animal. She closed her eyes and then drifted into a content sleep.

It was in this position that Jareth found her several hours later. He had knocked gently on her bedroom door, and upon finding that she did not answer; he stepped quietly into the room. He saw his love stretched out on her bed, eyes closed softly in sleep, a stuffed animal held tightly against her.

She was the epitome of beauty to him. Her dark hair, wavy and soft, delicately framed her face. Her dark eyelashes rested against her skin like fine strokes of a painter's brush. Her skin was so pale and pure, her lips so red and delicate.

Jareth stepped over to her and knelt down so that his face was even with hers. He carefully reached up and traced her fair cheek with his hand, drawing an imaginary line across her jaw and bringing his fingers to rest on her lips.

"Sarah," he said quietly. "Sarah, it is time to wake up."

Sarah moaned in protest and then opened her eyes. She gazed steadily into his face for several seconds before she realized how close he was. Once that realization hit her, she sat up abruptly and moved away from him.

"Why did you come in here?" she gasped, tossing her stuffed animal aside and scooting away from Jareth.

"It is half an hour until three o' clock. I thought you might like to be awakened," Jareth said, standing up.

As he stood up, his clothes changed. Black pants, a white button down shirt, and a light, button down brown jacket, replaced the white poet's shirt and black breeches. His hair was once again cut short, and the shimmer disappeared from his face.

"I suppose you're right," Sarah sighed, standing up. "You just interrupted a most wonderful dream."

"Oh? And what was it?"

"I thought you knew all of my dreams," Sarah said as she moved over to her closet and pulled out a pair of sneakers.

"All of your waking dreams and all of your sleeping dreams about me," Jareth said.

"Well, this dream was about Peter Pan."

"Peter Pan?" Jareth frowned.

"Yes," Sarah nodded. "I was flying away with him to Neverland. He wanted to show me the pirates and the Indians. I could actually feel myself flying, Jareth. It was quite the sensation."

"Tell me about this Peter Pan," Jareth scowled, and Sarah looked up at him with interest.

_Wow, _she thought to herself. _He's actually jealous of Peter Pan! I may as well torment him a bit._

"Well," Sarah said, pulling her sneakers on and smiling. "He's a most cocky fellow, you know. A little bit like you, actually. He dresses himself in leaves and vines, and has the wildest, most beautiful golden hair. Or is it red? Sometimes I forget. He's a great leader."

Sarah tied her shoes and then stood up. She moved to the doorway, and was stopped, seconds later, when Jareth grabbed her wrists and turned her to face him.

"He is a great leader? Of how many?"

Sarah had to bite her lip to stop herself from laughing at the Goblin King's obvious frustration.

"Oh, I'd say about eight or nine. His army grows larger every day. It's hard to keep track."

"That's no army," Jareth frowned, releasing her and then following her down the stairs.

"He can fly, and he doesn't have to turn into an owl to do it. He can also swordfight. Why, he's taken over a whole pirate ship before and defeated the most infamous pirate captain of them all!"

Jareth didn't speak for the remainder of the next half hour. He sat in sullen silence in the car, and Sarah could tell that he was distraught. So he thought he had competition, did he? Well, it was his fault for following her around all the time. If he weren't so provoking and possessive, she wouldn't have teased him.

Elaine was very happy to see Jareth and Sarah. They quickly bought popcorn and sodas and then found seats in the theater. Sarah sat in between Elaine and Jareth.

"So, what are your plans for the weekend?" Elaine asked as they waited for the movie to begin.

"Tomorrow I'm going to visit with the Reagan family. On Sunday I'm going to attend church services at the orphanage and spend the day with the children. They are doing their 'Peter Pan' play that night, and I was invited to be there. They are actually going to have a large formal dinner for all the volunteers and workers involved at the orphanage," Sarah smiled. "I was asked to dress as formally as was possible. The children seem to be very excited about the whole thing. They get to do a play in front of over one hundred people, and then they get to have a fancy dinner."

"What dress are you going to wear?" Elaine asked.

"I don't know yet. I don't even know if I have a good one, come to think of it."

"Tomorrow, then, before you go to the Reagans', you simply must go to the mall with me and we can get you a new dress. Jareth, how long are you going to be in town?" Elaine asked, leaning forward to look at Jareth, who was playing with a piece of popcorn and examining its texture.

"Several days longer. I don't like having Sarah be alone for long amounts of time without her parents nearby. Unfortunately, I probably won't be able to stay as long as they are gone, but I'll stay as long as I can," Jareth said.

"Would you care to go to the mall with us?" Elaine asked.

"Elaine!" Sarah exclaimed, cheeks turning red. "I do not want a man's help in finding a suitable dress for Sunday!"

"Is he going to go with you on Sunday?"

"Yes," Jareth answered before Sarah could speak.

Sarah closed her mouth and sat back in her chair, a frown on her face.

"Then he'll need a suit as well. Perhaps he can find one at the mall," Elaine smiled.

"The movie's starting," Sarah said, letting out a long breath as the lights began to dim and images began to flicker on the movie screen.

Sitting next to Jareth in a dark theater was an uncomfortable experience, but sitting with Jareth in a dark theater and watching a _chick flick _was completely disturbing. Sarah hadn't thought much about what movie they were watching until the movie began to play. She squirmed when the first romance scene, a kissing scene in the rain, appeared on the screen, and found her eyes involuntarily going to Jareth. He was leaning back casually; one leg crossed over the other, and was tossing popcorn easily into his mouth. He didn't seem the least bit affected by the scene, and he looked at Sarah with a puzzled expression on his face.

The movie was over an hour and a half long, and each romantic piece of the film brought a twitch or a squirm from Sarah. The film captivated Elaine, and Jareth was strangely intrigued by it.

Sarah dreaded the drive home. She just _knew _Jareth was going to say something about the movie, and her expectations were not disappointed. As soon as they got in the car and she started driving away from the theater, he sat back in his seat and turned to look at her.

"So that's what human women want?"

"Want what?" Sarah grimaced.

"All of that kissing in the rain nonsense? The great passion of being lifted into the air by the man they absolutely adore, whether or not they're married? In my world, it's positively disgraceful for anyone, aside from the king, to enter a woman's room in the still of the night and sweep her into a great whirl of passion if they are not married."

"And I'm sure you take advantage of being a king," Sarah growled. "You do notice the most uncomfortable things, Jareth. Look, I didn't realize what we were stepping into. I had heard that it was a good movie, not some overrated flick. If I had known there was going to be all that…all that mushy nonsense, I wouldn't have brought you."

"Is that what you want, Sarah? The type or romance that was in that movie?"

"Jareth!" Sarah exclaimed. "Now you're getting too personal! Why do you care about what I want?"

"I'm still trying to understand why you resist me so," Jareth said with a simple wave of his hand. "I can offer you so much more than those measly films, and yet you absolutely refuse to have any care or concern for me."

"You just think you're the greatest thing to ever step into my life, don't you?" Sarah snapped. "Just because you are the Goblin King doesn't mean that every woman is going to drop at your feet and beg for your affection. And don't even tell me about the women in the Labyrinth! From what I recall at the dance, they were drooling over every male, not just you!"

"You didn't answer my question," Jareth replied calmly.

"I do want to have some romance in my life, yes," Sarah said, letting out an exasperated sigh. "I want to be swept away by the man of my dreams to a world that I never knew existed. But there is such a thing as reality, Jareth, and right now my reality pushes aside those flippant, unimportant wants and forces me to face the truth."

"Your wants aren't flippant or unimportant, Sarah," Jareth frowned. "You are a positively beautiful woman, and your dreams used to be so beautiful and certainly romantic. Your dreams were what sustained you. Now that you have pushed them aside, you are falling apart. Everyone should want a bit of romance."

When they arrived back at the house a few minutes later, Sarah led the way into the front entrance room and then put her purse down on a chair. She walked into the living room and then plopped down on a couch.

"Of all the movies I could have taken him to see, I just had to take him to that one! And now he's going to go clothes shopping with me tomorrow! Ah!" she exclaimed.

"Sarah," Jareth said, entering the room. "You should look out at the sunset. It's absolutely stunning."

Sarah stood up from the couch and moved over to the living room window. She pulled the curtain aside and then looked out. She couldn't see much above the house next door, but she did manage to see traces of pink, gold, orange, and red shining in the sky.

"It's gorgeous, Jareth," she said and then turned away.

"You couldn't even see it," Jareth frowned, stepping towards her. "This the perfect opportunity for more dreams."

He put his hand on her shoulder, and instantly, they disappeared.

The next thing Sarah knew, she was standing atop a tall building, looking out at nothing but a large, empty meadow and the setting sun. From this place, she could see the whole sky stretched out before her. There were clouds of gold tracing the beautiful expanse, and flames of red, purple and orange illuminated the sky.

"What do you see, Sarah?" Jareth asked, sitting down.

"Clouds and light," Sarah said simply, sitting down next to him.

"Don't the clouds look like paths, stretching up to the heavens? What did you use to see, Sarah, when you looked at a scene as magnificent as this?" Jareth asked.

"Dragons and castles," Sarah smiled. "All right, Jareth. I'll let my mind play again. At the very end of the golden clouds is a great castle, white and pure. Its towers reach up as far as I can see. The red and orange traces of light aren't really light. No, they are fire from the nostrils of a great dragon. He's dark red with gold-tipped wings and a gold-tipped tail. His wings are as wide as nine men, and his tail as long as this building is high. He flies in much the same way as a great eagle, with long, graceful sweeps of his wings and strong, fluid movements."

"Are you seeing it, Sarah?" Jareth whispered, nearly trembling with excitement that his queen was beginning to see on her own again.

Sarah looked out at the clouds and was, once again, amazed to find that her imagination was coming to life. There _was_ a magnificent castle at the end of the golden trail. It shimmered and sparkled in the light of the setting sun. A huge figure suddenly flew up from behind it, sweeping above the castle and moving stealthily and smoothly towards Jareth and Sarah.

"Jareth!" Sarah choked, grabbing his arm. "Jareth, it's real! There's a dragon coming this way! Jareth, they eat people! Make it go away!"

"I can't," Jareth said simply. "Only you have the power to turn your dreams away."

Sarah stood up and watched, wide-eyed and open-mouthed as the enormous creature, smoke and fire billowing from his nostrils, rushed towards her. His tail flailed in the wind after him, and Sarah found, to her utmost terror, that she couldn't move. She couldn't make a sound as the amazing creature came only a few yards away from her and then stopped. Smoke billowed up into Sarah's face, and a horrible realization swept over her.

"Jareth…" she managed to stammer, her throat dry. "Is he really here, or is this just a dream?"

"Does it feel like he's here?" Jareth asked, watching as the dragon moved so that his nose was nearly touching Sarah.

"And the unicorn, Brownies, and pirates. Were they really there?" Sarah asked and then gasped as the dragon nudged her roughly with his nose.

"Did you never wonder exactly what special powers the Goblin King had given to the girl?" Jareth asked, standing up next to her.

"Jareth, please don't tell me you…"

"I gave you the power to make your dreams reality," Jareth said calmly, putting his hand on Sarah's shoulder. "The dragon is really here. Everything you have dreamed or imagined over the past few days has really happened. If someone were to suddenly step onto that meadow below, they would see the dragon and have a fit of hysterics. Yes, all of the creatures you saw and touched were real. You imagined them into existence."

The dragon opened his mouth at that moment, almost in the shape of a smile, and Sarah, overwhelmed and confused beyond explanation, fainted dead away.

The dragon and castle immediately disappeared as Sarah's imagination was submerged into unconsciousness, and Jareth caught her as she fell.

"I wasn't certain how you would take the news, my precious Sarah," he said gently, scooping her up into her arms and then disappearing.

They appeared back in Sarah's room, and Jareth gently placed her on her bed and covered her with her blankets.

"There was no simpler way to tell you the truth. You have the power to make your dreams come to life," Jareth whispered, stroking her cheek with his fingers and then walking towards the doorway. "Good night, my love," he said as he turned her bedroom light off and then left the room.


	9. Not Everything is as it Seems

**Chapter nine is now up! Thanks so much to everyone who's been reviewing! You are awesome! Enjoy this chapter, and please let me know what you think!**

**Chapter Nine: Not Everything is as it Seems**

Sarah had a miserable headache the next morning. She was in no good mood as she walked downstairs, still in her pajamas, and when Jareth appeared in the kitchen doorway, she let all of her frustration unleash itself.

"Good morning, Sarah. I trust you slept well?" Jareth asked.

Sarah turned to face him, a scowl on her face. She walked over to him, and without warning, grabbed him by his shirt and slammed him against the wall.

"Why didn't you tell me about my power?" she shouted. "I could have killed someone with that dragon! Or my stepmother! Think of how many times I wished she would fall into wet concrete or break one of her shoe heels!"

"Seems that you just need to control your thoughts more," Jareth smirked.

"You listen!" Sarah snapped, shoving her face into his. "This is the worst joke you've played yet, Goblin King! You know fully well I can't control that! What if I got really angry and flippantly wished someone was dead? What if I wished _you_ were dead?"

"It wouldn't work on me, dearest. I am the gift-giver; therefore, your wishes would have no effect on me."

"Take your gift back!" Sarah shouted. "I don't want to see anyone get hurt!"

"I will teach you how to control it," Jareth said, putting his hands over her wrists. "You'll thank me for it."

"I will not!" Sarah growled. "Now let go of me so I can get some Tylenol!"

"I thought you were the one holding on to me?" Jareth smiled.

"Jareth!" Sarah shouted. "If you kiss me again, I will hurt you!"

"I'm not going to kiss you," Jareth said. "Let me ease your headache."

"You're just giving me a greater one!"

Jareth ignored Sarah's resistance and gently moved one of his hands to the back of her head. Sarah stopped struggling as he began to stroke the back of her head, fingers weaving softly through her dark hair. She closed her eyes slowly and then leaned her head back into his hand.

His touch was like soothing waves of the sea, sweeping silkily over her and pulling away every ache in her head. Sarah couldn't help but let out a sigh of comfort as the headache eased away with every touch of the Goblin King.

When Jareth stopped, Sarah didn't step away. She kept her eyes closed; her head tilted back into his hand, and took in long, deep breaths to fill her with peace.

Sarah opened her eyes slowly to find herself gazing right into the Goblin King's mismatched eyes.

"Jareth," she said gently, trying to step back but finding that his hand on her back prevented her from doing so. "I could…" she stammered uncomfortably, looking down to avoid his gaze. "I could almost…kiss you."

"Just for making a little headache go away?" Jareth asked, an eyebrow arched.

"Sometimes you make me so angry, and sometimes, you soothe my every worry and care. I don't know what to make of you, Goblin King," Sarah said, reaching back and putting her hand on his. "Would you please release me so I can get ready to go to the Reagans?"

"Not when we're getting along so well," Jareth said quietly, lacing his fingers through hers.

"What do you want from me that you've hunted me down for so long?" Sarah asked, tilting her head to the side.

"Your love. Only and always your love, Sarah," Jareth said, craning his neck and moving his lips to the corner of her mouth.

A warm feeling flowed through Sarah, and she found her eyes drifting closed again. She didn't notice Jareth shift positions so that she was against the wall with him standing before her. The only thing she was conscious of where his lips moving gently against the corner of her lips, not daring to actually give her a true kiss, but bordering on the edge of treason.

"Sarah," he murmured, relishing the scent of her skin as he raised his hand to her cheek. "My Sarah, how long you've been away from me. Don't leave me again. Don't break my heart in two. Let me love you, let me rule you, and you can have everything."

At that sentimental moment, the telephone decided to ring.

Sarah's eyes opened and she slipped beneath Jareth's arms and then ran to the phone. Her fingers trembled as she picked it up, and she had to clear her throat in order to keep her voice from quivering.

Jareth leaned against the wall, heart pounding wildly within him as he contemplated how close, how wonderfully close, he had come to getting Sarah to respond to him and return his affection. She was weakening to his tactics, was falling under his spell.

Once she was finished on the phone, Sarah raced up to her room, got into her work clothes, and then ran back down the stairs again.

"Grab a bagel for breakfast, Jareth. They're in the freezer," She said, pulling on her high heels and running to the door. "Jeremy has a baseball game in an hour and a half, so if I want to see the Reagans today, we have to get going."

Jareth wasn't entirely sure what a bagel was, but he grabbed two of them, one for him and one for Sarah, and then disappeared. He reappeared in Sarah's car, and she gasped with surprise.

"You have to stop doing that!" she yelped, starting the car. "You need to get into some different clothes, Jareth. Your Goblin King outfit won't work."

"I'm not going to change. Sorry," Jareth said with a small shrug and then bit into one of the bagels.

"What do you mean?" Sarah growled, starting to drive.

"If you want me in different clothes, imagine my outfit for me. It would be good practice for you. But be careful," he warned, mischief shining in his unique eyes, "Because whatever you imagine will come true."

"Are you indicating that I might just want you dressed in something entirely inappropriate?" Sarah scowled.

"Perhaps."

"Fine. I want you to be in black pants with a burgundy button down shirt. That should fit your coloring nicely. Your hair needs to be short again, like it was yesterday," Sarah sighed.

"Very good, Sarah."

Sarah turned her head to look at him and then gasped.

"I want the buttons buttoned, though! Good grief, Jareth!"

Jareth smirked as the shirt magically buttoned itself back up, leaving only a few buttons on the top undone.

"You choose what shoes you want to wear. I have no clue what to give you," Sarah said, cheeks red with embarrassment over her last mistake. "And don't take that button thing too seriously. I didn't mean to leave the shirt unbuttoned. I never said or thought that it should be that way."

The Reagan family consisted of Mr. and Mrs. Reagan and their three foster children, Jeremy, Jessica, and Phillip, whom they had tried for years to adopt.

Each child greeted Sarah with excitement and Jareth with curiosity when they arrived. Apparently they hadn't heard of the Goblin King before, and Sarah determined to tease him about it later.

Mrs. Reagan spent several minutes talking in the kitchen with Sarah while Jareth and the children sat in the living room. Neither he nor the children spoke a word, for they were too busy observing each other to speak.

Phillip spoke, several minutes later, his top two teeth missing and making him speak with a lisp.

"Why is one of your eyes brown and one of your eyes blue?"

"My eyes are different colors," Jareth said calmly, "to show that I am of royal blood."

"What are you? A Sir?" Jessica asked, having recently seen that title in a book.

"No," Jareth said, shaking his head. "I am a king."

"Of what?" Jessica asked excitedly.

Jareth knew that he'd cause quite an uproar if he said where he was really from and what exactly he did, so he smiled and said simply, "Of stories. I'm the king of stories."

"Your teeth are pointed. You remind me a little of a…well…" Jeremy said uncertainly.

"Speak your mind," Jareth said easily.

"A goblin."

"So Jeremy," Sarah interrupted, stepping into the room. "I hear you have a baseball game in a few hours."

Jareth asked questions about the children as Sarah drove them away from the house forty-five minutes later. He was very curious about why they hadn't yet been adopted, and he frowned and stroked his chin when Sarah informed him that the adoption process was very long and strenuous. The Goblin King mentioned that he liked the children, and Sarah immediately became stiff.

"Come now," Jareth said, sitting back in his seat. "I have no intention of taking them to the Labyrinth. They were very happy with their parents. They have spirit, those children."

Elaine was waiting eagerly at the mall when Sarah and Jareth arrived. She immediately grabbed Sarah's arm and pulled her into the mall, Jareth following them from behind. Sarah was dragged into a bridal shop, and Elaine, in a whirl of activity, started throwing dresses at her.

"You planning on getting married this afternoon?" the store worker smiled at Jareth as Sarah nearly fell beneath the load.

"We are not getting married!" Sarah exclaimed, falling beneath the mound of dresses. "Elaine! I'm going to an orphanage, not a wedding! We're in the wrong store! How much do these cost anyway?"

She picked up one of the price tags and whistled, thrusting the dresses into Elaine's arms as she did so.

"Different store, Elaine."

"Might I have a say in your choice of garb?" Jareth asked as he followed Sarah and Elaine out of the store.

"Of course," Elaine nodded. "Since you and Sarah are going to the play and banquet together, you're going to want something that looks good together. Are you going to get a suit, Jareth?"

"I already have what I need," Jareth smiled, sitting down in another dress store and watching as Sarah went through a rack of dresses.

"Here. This is more in my price range and more fit for the occasion," Sarah said, pulling a long-sleeved purple gown off of a shelf. "I'm going to try this on."

Elaine watched as Sarah stepped into the dressing room and then turned her attention to Jareth.

"So, Jareth, what is like where you are from?"

"It's beautiful," Jareth said quietly. "There are rolling hills of green and meadows full of wildflowers and butterflies. It rarely storms, but when it does, the whole sky is illuminated and sparkles with color. There are gardens with flowers of all descriptions, and an immense white and gold castle that sparkles against the sunlight."

Sarah, who was listening from inside the changing room, scowled. So now he was resorting to lying, was he? The Labyrinth was nothing like his description, and she knew it!

"What do you think?" she asked, stepping out of the room.

Elaine clasped her hands together as she observed Sarah's beautiful dress, but Jareth looked her up and down for several seconds, his fingers to his lips in thought.

"No," he said presently, shaking his head. "It won't do."

"I like it," Sarah frowned, spinning in front of a mirror. "It fits my form nicely, and the color is gorgeous."

"But the color isn't you," Jareth said, folding his arms across his chest.

"What would you suggest?" Elaine asked, surprised that a man would show so much interest in a dress.

"I think," Jareth said, standing up and stepping past Sarah to look at another rack of dresses. "That this one would suit you much better."

He pulled a long black gown off the rack and then held it out to Sarah. She glared at him for a moment and then took the dress.

"Jareth," she said to him as she walked towards the dressing room. "Why don't you tell Elaine about the real part of your country? The part with a winding maze, and oubliettes, and dark corridors?"

"Whatever are you talking about?" Jareth frowned.

"You know very well what I'm talking about!" Sarah snapped and then disappeared into the changing room.

"I don't know why she loses her temper so quickly with you," Elaine said, looking at Jareth. "What was she talking about?"

"Nothing of consequence. Would you care to hear about the people of my country?"

Sarah listened, a frown on her face, as she changed into the new dress. Jareth spoke about the Labyrinth as though it was the complete opposite of everything Sarah had seen. The men and women were beautiful creatures, not some outrageous, crude creatures that stared at innocence as though it was the strangest thing they had ever seen. There wasn't a Bog of Eternal Stench, according to Jareth, but a beautiful sea that shone like a million diamonds under the sunlight.

Sarah looked up after she had finished getting her dress on, and observed herself in the full-length mirror that was hanging against the wall in her small changing room. Jareth had been right. The black dress fit her form nicely. It wasn't too snug, nor was it too loose. The sleeves were just barely draping off her shoulders. The dress was long and flowing and was made of the smoothest silk. The dark black brought out the coloring in Sarah's face and made her eyes more intense, darker.

"Sarah, how does it look?" Elaine asked.

"I'm not entirely sure what I think," Sarah said slowly, letting her hands run down the skirt of the dress, feeling the cool silk beneath her fingers.

"Come out and let me see it!"

Sarah looked at herself again and then bit her lip. She was not, was _not_ going to give Jareth the satisfaction of seeing that he had been right. It was too embarrassing, especially not now when she was mad with him for lying about the Labyrinth.

"Sarah?"

"I'm coming," Sarah sighed and then opened the changing room door.

She walked out to where Elaine and Jareth were waiting, her head held high and a firm look on her face.

"Sarah!" Elaine gasped. "Look at you! You look fit for a queen! That's it! That's the dress!"

Sarah looked to Jareth, who was sitting back and had his hands folded together. His eyes again looked over her body, and then he looked up into her face.

"That fits you quite nicely," he commented simply.

All it took was his eyes looking into hers for Sarah's cheeks to catch on fire.

"I don't know that this is appropriate for tomorrow night," Sarah stammered as Jareth stood up, his fingers stroking his jaw thoughtfully. "Isn't it a bit too much?"

"It's perfect!" Elaine exclaimed.

Jareth started to circle Sarah, and she shivered for reasons that she didn't understand. She could feel his eyes on her skin, could sense his closeness.

"Were I to put your physical appearance into a description," Jareth said quietly so that only she could hear. "You, my dear Sarah," he said, stepping up behind her and whispering in her ear. "Would be a star-studded diamond on a blanket of black velvet."

Were they not in public, Sarah would have lost all restraint. A shiver, harsher than all the others, shot through her body, and she turned her head slightly to look at him. Her eyes met his, and she was stunned by the intensity and passion behind those usually reserved pools of blue and brown. Her mouth went dry as warmth flooded over her, threatening to carry her away in its wake.

"_You're going to lose it!"_ Sarah panicked, forcing herself to come back to her senses. "_Say something to save yourself! Elaine's looking at you with that gawky expression of hers. Sarah, do something!"_

"Why," Sarah heard herself asking slowly, "Are you lying about where you live?"

Jareth didn't bat an eye, but stepped away from her and with all the poise of a tomcat said easily, "I am not lying. Perhaps you don't want to face the truth."

"I think I'm missing something," Elaine said, eyebrow arched as Jareth returned to his seat.

"Nothing," Sarah said, letting out a deep breath. "Let me get changed, pay for this, and then we can get going."

Minutes later, Sarah, Elaine and Jareth left the store, Elaine leading them towards the food court in the distance.

"Sarah, what happened back there?" she whispered, staying close to Sarah as they walked.

"What do you mean, what happened?"

"That look you gave Jareth. It looked like you wanted to devour him, and not in a mean way. Where is he really from? Why do you treat him so coldly when you're in love with him?"

"I am not in love with him!" Sarah exclaimed in frustration. "You're going to think I'm insane, Elaine, entirely insane, but I'll tell you the truth about him!"

Sarah stopped walking and turned to face Elaine, ignoring the interested look on Jareth's face.

"Listen, he's not from England, all right? He's the Goblin King from a place called the Labyrinth! He kidnapped my baby brother thirteen years ago and made me run through his world of mazes, confusion, and terror to save Toby! The Labyrinth was a frightening place with dead trees, wild creatures, and insolvable mazes. For some reason he let me defy him, and if it weren't for that, who knows where my brother and I would be now! Probably grasped unmercifully in his clutches, doing whatever he wanted us to do! He's come back, after all that time, to make me dream again so that all my waking and sleeping moments can be filled with him!"

Sarah was shouting without realizing it and was flinging her arms about dramatically. She didn't see a large group of shoppers gathering around, watching her performance.

"He wants me to love him, but I can't! How could I after what he made me go through?"

Elaine, thinking this whole thing was an act, decided to humor Sarah.

"You don't like him in the least little bit?" she asked, a small smile on her face as she saw Sarah's audience leaning forward to listen.

"How can I?" Sarah exclaimed, her face red with frustration. "That's what he wants me to do, but I refuse! I absolutely refuse to fall for him, and that's final!"

Cheers and applause suddenly erupted, and Sarah turned to see a third of the mall's occupants cheering her on.

"Good grief!" she whispered, her eyes widening and her cheeks turning bright red. "How long have they been standing there?"

"Ever since you started. Sarah, put aside the social work and go into acting! You'd be terrific!" Elaine applauded. "I've never seen such a vibrant performance. Well done, Sarah!"

"I'm never going to live this down. Jareth," Sarah said, grabbing Jareth's arm and beginning to drag him away from Elaine towards the mall exit. "We're going! How humiliating! How embarrassing! How awful!"

"If you want to save yourself, than don't run," Jareth said calmly.

"What can I do?" Sarah asked, horrified.

"Act your part. Show them you were just performing, like they think you were. Come now, Sarah. Use your imagination. You are a great actress, and this is your admiring audience. You've just performed the greatest act ever. How would you behave? Curtsy, bow, and act thrilled by their response!"

Sarah growled, but knowing that he was right, she stopped walking away and then dropped into a great curtsy.

The cheers got louder, and Sarah looked up at Jareth, her eyes glowing maliciously.

"Now what?" she silently mouthed.

"Let's go get something to eat," Elaine said, taking Sarah's arm and leading her towards the food court again. "Go back to your shopping, everyone! The performance is over!"

"Sarah!" Elaine exclaimed as she, Jareth and Sarah sat down several minutes later in the food court, each with a pretzel and a slushy. "I didn't realize you were in an acting group! That performance was spectacular! And that whole bit about Jareth being a Goblin King and being cruel to you was terrific! Jareth, what did you think of that description of you?"

"I thought it was quite accurate," Jareth smiled and then looked at Sarah.

The sly Fae almost appeared to wink at her, and Sarah's cheeks, still flushed and hot from her embarrassment, became even hotter.

"So you two must be the leads in this play! When is it going to be performed?"

"Elaine…" Sarah started, but Jareth interrupted.

"We don't act in an actual group, Miss Elaine. Sarah and I spend a great deal of time together alone, acting out our little skits. They are rather realistic to us, actually."

"Okay. You two aren't really just easy-going friends, are you? There's more behind your relationship, isn't there?" Elaine asked.

"I think Sarah's suffered enough embarrassment for one day," Jareth smirked and then took a sip of the awkward cold concoction in his hand.

_"Ooh, how I'd love to shove that drink up his perfectly flawless face,"_ Sarah thought to herself as she smiled slightly, sick to the stomach, at Elaine.

Jareth could feel the whirlwind of clashing emotions flowing through Sarah as he and she stepped into her house, hours later, just as the sun was beginning to set. The way she walked, with an irritated stalk in her step, and the way her hair whisked about her head, as though enraged, warned him to keep his distance.

As soon as the door was shut, Sarah let out an irritated groan.

"This has been one of the worst days ever! First I bring a man dress shopping with me! Then, he just has to pick out the perfect dress! He goes and lies to my co-worker about where he's from, convinces her that we're part of some crazy act, and then acts like nothing happened! Ahhh!"

"Sarah," Jareth said calmly, following her quickly up the stairs to her room. "The Labyrinth is just the way I described it."

"It is not!" Sarah snarled, turning to face him as she stepped into her doorway. "The Labyrinth is a place full of mazes, hence the name _Labyrinth_! I had to go through so many head-hurting experiences to get Toby, and you know it! There were the guards at the door, the talking doorknockers, the Helping Hands, the Fireys, the Bog of Eternal Stench, and the trash heap. Oh, and let's not forget about the big bronze guard that just about sliced me and Ludo in half, the ball full of frightening goblins, and the maze room where I thought for sure Toby was going to fall and die! I was there, Jareth! None of this is a dream! I know that now! I was in the Labyrinth, and you better believe it wasn't a thing like what you told Elaine!"

She pointed a finger accusingly at Jareth, and he caught her hand and stepped closer to her, lowering his face so it was even with hers.

"That, Sarah, is the Labyrinth _you_ saw," he said firmly, eyes boring into hers. "Your imagination made things seem a way that they really weren't. _You_ dreamed up that the heroine had to go through fire and water to get to her helpless baby brother. _You_ decided that the Goblin King would be cruel and hard yet willing to drop down on his knees before you and grovel. The Labyrinth is nothing like what you imagined into existence. It is a place of beauty and a place of peace. Yes, there are women that surround me and adore me, and who can blame them? There are men that look wickedly at the women. Does not your own world have people like that? I am very much what you created in your mind."

Sarah looked away in exasperation, and he grabbed her chin roughly and forced her to look at him.

"I can be cruel," he said, moving so that his body was pressed firmly against hers. "I can be intimidating," he added as he grabbed the back of her neck with one hand and moved his other hand torturously across her lower back. "But you like me this way, and so I am," he breathed, lowering his mouth to hover only millimeters away from hers.

His warm breath drifted across her lips, tormenting her almost into a frenzy.

"My Labyrinth, Sarah," he whispered. "Is everything you've always dreamed for a place of beauty and love. You were only too blind to see it."

"Show it to me," Sarah whispered and then gasped as he brought his mouth viciously to her jaw.

"Not yet. You need to consider my words before I can show you my world," Jareth murmured against her skin. "I leave you to your dreams, my lady."

Jareth stepped away and then disappeared. Sarah collapsed against the doorframe, her hand moving to her forehead.

"Why am I so warm? Why does he affect me like this when no one else can?" she gasped, her heart beating so quickly she thought she might faint again. "Before he came, I had never fainted. I've fainted twice in the past few days. When I first saw him, I was terrorized and amazed, like Wendy when she saw Captain Hook, but now…" She stammered as she closed her bedroom door and then leaned back against it. "I can't really be falling in love with the Goblin King?" she asked herself. "I cannot fall in love with the villain of all my dreams. The story was that the Goblin King fell in love with the girl, not the other way around."

Subconsciously, Sarah traced the line of her jaw where Jareth had placed several brisk, feather-light kisses.

"I want him to be close," she whispered to herself. "I want him to hold me, to love me, to show me the passion he wants so much to show me, but I can't. It wouldn't be right. I cannot give him the satisfaction of seeing me submit to him. I won't!" She stamped her foot down hard, and much like when she was fifteen, twirled and then bashed her fists against her wall, letting out an irritated shout.

"Why do things have to be so complicated? Why can't I understand my own feelings? Oh!"

She jumped over to her bed and then collapsed on it, grabbing her pillow and then holding it over her head to try and block out her thinking.

Some things are just too complicated to be thought about on an intellectual level. Love, like faith, cannot be measured as much with the head as it must be measured with the heart. From an intellectual level, Sarah's growing feelings towards Jareth made no sense, no sense at all. But from matters of the heart, it was entirely, purely reasonable.

The Goblin King was the man of her dreams. He had been ever since she had first picked up the red and gold, leather-bound book. He was strong, cruel, passionate, and beautiful, and he loved her with an intensity too powerful to describe. He had been unkind, but it had been done entirely to grant her own wishes. He had been frightening, but only because she had wanted him to be.

Sarah came to understand that, as she lay quietly on her bed.

"Oh Goblin King," she whispered, turning to face the ceiling. "You did become my slave, even though I never accepted your crystal, never accepted your dreams as my own. How cruel I have been to you! How selfish and naïve! I'm sorry. I'm only now beginning to feel a trace of the love for you that you've magnified a hundredfold to me."

She turned onto her side and cuddled with her Ludo stuffed animal. Her eyes drifted shut, and as she was carried gently away to her world of dreams, a few last, whispered words spoke tiredly from her lips.

"I love you, Goblin King…"


	10. Just a Little Bit of Pixie Dust

**Next chapter's up! Enjoy, and let me know what you think! :)**

"**So come with me, where dreams are born, and time is never planned. Just think of happy things, and your heart will fly on wings, forever, in Never Never Land!" – Peter Pan  
**

Chapter Ten: Just a Little Bit of Pixie Dust

Jareth entered the kitchen the next morning to see Sarah standing over the stove, dressed in a dark blue dress, her hair pulled back in a braid. She was flipping pancakes and didn't see him walking towards her, for her thoughts seemed to be very far away. Her eyebrows were narrowed as she put some of the pancakes on a plate and then turned her attention back to the stove.

She was beautiful, in every sense of the word, and knowing that she disliked it when he snuck up on her, Jareth decided to announce his presence in a more subtle way.

A bubble floated into Sarah's vision, and she turned her head immediately to look at Jareth.

"Good morning," she smiled slightly.

"Good morning. Touch it," Jareth said, indicating the bubble that remained floating in the air.

"Last time you offered me something that looked like that, I refused, and for good reason," Sarah said, eyeing the bubble suspiciously.

"No," Jareth said, shaking his head. "Last time you saw such a thing, you were absorbed into it and to a mysterious, awkward dance. If you touch it now, you won't regret it."

"Jareth…" Sarah warned, her eyebrow arched.

"Come now, Sarah. Where is your spirit of adventure?" Jareth smirked.

"Oh, very well," Sarah sighed and then put her hand out and let the bubble pop in it.

The bubble disintegrated, and in its place laid a beautiful red rose, dewdrops of the early morning glistening on each petal.

"Thank you, Jareth," Sarah smiled and then placed the rose gently on the counter. "Have you decided what to wear for church services this morning?"

"I'll wear some type of suit again. How formal would you say this evening's events are going to be?" Jareth asked, stepping next to her and picking up a pancake.

"The orphanage administrator mentioned that the children want everyone to be dressed formally as possibly tonight. They've had a lot of fun planning this out for the past several months, and I think they want everyone to look like royalty."

"That shouldn't be too difficult," Jareth smiled and bit into the pancake.

Sarah looked at him shyly, watching the way his eyes shone as he ate, the way his silky wisps of hair brushed against his face.

"Is there ever a time," she found herself asking, "When you don't look perfect?"

"My dear Sarah," Jareth grinned, stepping close to her.

"What?" Sarah asked, stepping back uncomfortably and feeling her back hit the refrigerator.

"Was that a compliment, or a confession?"

"A confession?" Sarah stammered.

"You care for me more than you show, don't you? All I have to do is move only a few inches away from you, like so," Jareth said, moving closer to her, "and you tremble like a flower in the wind."

"Would you just answer my question?" Sarah frowned as her blood began to run hot.

"Yes, there are times when I'm not perfect. When I first wake up, for instance," Jareth said with a shrug, giving her more space. "My hair sticks out in all directions, much like yours does. You've seen me in my worst moments."

"When?" Sarah asked.

"When I offered you your dreams," he said bitterly. "I was threadbare and worn. You had exhausted me to the point of looking many years older than I was. I've never felt as terrible nor looked as awful. You ripped my heart right out of my chest with only a few simple words."

"You offered yourself to a fifteen-year-old, Jareth," Sarah said quietly, tending to the pancakes again. "What did you expect me to do?"

"Just fear me, love me, and do as I say," Jareth smiled.

After breakfast, Sarah drove herself and Jareth to the orphanage. The building where the children were housed was absolutely beautiful. It had all the charm of a large mansion from the early 1900s. Great vines climbed up the stonewalls of the building, giving it an ancient, romantic appearance.

Once inside the orphanage, Sarah and Jareth were led to the chapel. Sarah was all smiles as they stepped into the large room full of over one hundred orphans. Each child that saw Sarah waved and smiled brightly, calling her name excitedly.

Jareth loved to see his Sarah the way she was now. Not a single line of worry marked her beautiful face. Her smile glowed like the sun, her eyes shone like the stars.

Frankie, who was sitting in one of the back rows of the room, waved to Sarah and gestured for her to come sit with him. Sarah did as he asked, weaving in and out of the other children, Jareth directly behind her. She sat down next to Frankie and smiled.

"Hello Frankie!"

"Hello Miss Sarah! Who is your friend?" Frankie asked, looking over at Jareth and smiling shyly.

"This is Mr. Jareth," Sarah said. "He's only here for a little while."

Frankie gazed carefully at Jareth, studying the man's eyes and face carefully.

"I know who he is," Frankie said presently, sitting back and opening up his Bible. "He's the Goblin King from the Labyrinth."

"What?" Sarah asked, shocked.

"Sure. He isn't in his usual outfit, and his hair is cut short, but it's him all right.

"Frankie, how did you…" Sarah started, but the preacher cut her off.

"All right, everyone. Let's get our services started. Now I know we have a lot of work to accomplish today, so after services, we need everyone to help bring chairs into the auditorium while lunch is being prepared. Then, after lunch, we need to get the stage set up and the rest of the auditorium. Let's pray."

Sarah wasn't able to concentrate very well through the service. Frankie knew about Jareth? How? How did so many children know who he was?

When the service was finished, the children filed neatly out of the room and then made their way to the auditorium. Several of their care givers insisted that Sarah and Jareth stay out of the auditorium and just relax. They were shown to the large cafeteria and were then shown to their chairs.

"Jareth," Sarah asked as they waited for the children to come into the room. "How did Frankie know about you?"

"He's a great dreamer, just as you were, Sarah," Jareth said easily.

"But how did he know about you?"

"You will have to ask him about that. I don't know," Jareth shrugged.

Lunch passed quickly, and following it, Sarah spent as much time as she could with the children. She and Jareth played games with them, their absolute favorite being charades. Sarah hadn't played that game in years, and it was with rosy cheeks that she stood up each time it was her turn and attempted to act out her part.

The children loved it. They laughed and clapped as Sarah performed first "The Little Mermaid," then "Chicken Little," and finally, "Star Wars." Jareth needed help with his parts, for he hadn't heard of them before. He found it amusing that all of his roles had something to do with his relationship with Sarah. His first performance was of "Beauty and the Beast." Next was "The Lion King," and lastly was "Cinderella." How thrilled the children were when they saw the sophisticated man stand up and pretend to lose his glass slipper! They howled with laughter as they watched him hopping around on one foot, pretending to hold up the skirt of a dress!

When the charades were finished, many of the younger children gathered around Sarah, eagerly waiting for a story. In times past, Sarah had read to them, but she had since determined that they much preferred she act out her own version of the story. They wanted to see her performance of "Peter Pan," and so Sarah told them the story, acting out bits and pieces of it as she did so.

Sarah went out of her way to make Jareth uncomfortable, for she enjoyed watching him squirm. She told all about Peter's kiss and the thimble, all about how he had rescued Wendy and how he always won and loved to crow.

Evening came faster than Sarah had expected it to, and she retrieved her gown from the car and then got changed in one of the restrooms. Guests began to arrive, as she got dressed, filling in the great house and being escorted by suit-wearing children into the auditorium.

Sarah stepped out of the bathroom to find Jareth waiting for her, dressed in a black suit. He didn't wear a tie, but beneath his jacket he wore a white button down shirt, the top few buttons undone.

As soon as Jareth saw his beloved Sarah, he bowed low, stunned by her beauty. The dress in and of itself was gorgeous, but Sarah had added several touches that made her, undoubtedly, the most beautiful woman at the orphanage. She had twisted her hair in sections and then had pulled it all back and pinned it in an intricate bun. She wore diamond earrings, and a thin gold chain about her neck with one diamond charm on the end of it. She didn't wear much makeup, only enough to make her eyes even darker and her lips a bit redder.

"You, my darling, are exquisite," Jareth breathed as he offered her his arm.

"Aren't I always?" Sarah asked playfully, putting her arm gracefully through his.

"Of course," he murmured, moving his mouth to the smooth skin of her cheek as they stepped into the auditorium.

"Jareth," Sarah hissed, moving her face away from his. "Stop."

"This way please!" A little boy, dressed in a suit and tie, said as he took Sarah's available hand in his.

Jareth and Sarah were seated towards the front of the auditorium, and once there, Sarah took her time to observe the interior of the room. Shining, aluminum stars hung from the high ceiling, sparkling merrily in the dim lighting of the room. Illustrations of Peter Pan and Neverland hung from the walls. Huge, dark blue curtains covered the stage, hiding the performers until the appropriate time for their play started.

The room was filled with men and women, all dressed in their utmost best. The men wore tuxedoes and the women elegant gowns, eagerly complying with the wishes of the children.

The play began, and for the next two hours, Sarah and the rest of the audience were no longer in the orphanage. They were flying in the air with Peter and the Darling children, were hiding in the woods with the Indians, and were battling vicious pirates aboard a great ship.

Jareth's relief, when he discovered that Peter Pan was only a little boy, could not be explained. So Sarah had been teasing him the whole time, had she? Imagine, he, a great Goblin King, being jealous about a little boy!

When the play was finished, the audience rose and cheered. The children in the play went onto the stage and bowed several times before disappearing behind the dark blue curtains.

The guests found that as they had been watching the play, caretakers had been placing great portions of food on long tables located at the sides of the auditorium. The audience was asked to please step to the sides of the room just long enough for tables and chairs to be arranged.

After several minutes of table and chair shuffling, the guests were shown to their new seats at different tables. A prayer was said and then everyone began to get his or her dinner. Several children went onto the stage with their instruments and began to play, accompanying the guests as they got their food and then began to eat.

Sarah was kept occupied, throughout the meal, with various children arriving at different intervals and talking cheerfully with her. They all wanted to hear another story, and she promised them that after the meal, if it was possible, she would tell them another one.

Jareth ate quickly and waited for Sarah to finish. He gazed about the immense room, noting that several couples were beginning to dance to the music. The children were playing lovely waltz music on their violins, piano, and clarinets.

Frankie arrived at Sarah's table just as she was finishing her dessert.

"Miss Sarah," he asked with a bow. "Might I have a dance?"

"Why certainly!" Sarah laughed and then stood up.

She took Frankie's hand and the two stepped onto the dance floor.

"Tell me, Frankie," Sarah said as she and Frankie began to sway from side to side, for that was the only way he knew how to dance. "How did you know who Mr. Jareth was?"

"Your book," Frankie said simply.

"What book?"

"The Labyrinth. You let me read it a long time ago. Mr. Jareth looks exactly like the Goblin King in the story did."

"So many children seem to know who he is," Sarah said, looking over to see Jareth sitting casually in his chair, speaking with several young women who just _happened_ to flock around him when Sarah left the table.

"I know who you are too," Frankie said quietly. "I always have known."

"Of course you know who I am," Sarah smiled. "I've been coming here for a long time now."

"No," Frankie said, shaking his head. "You're the girl that the Goblin King fell in love with."

"Frankie!"

"You are," he said firmly. "The way he looks at you tells me so. The description of the girl in the story sounded a lot like you. I knew the story didn't just end when you refused to take the crystal from the Goblin King. I knew he would come back for you."

"I don't understand! How do you know all this?" Sarah exclaimed.

"Miss Sarah," Frankie said gently. "I wished he would come back."

"What?" Sarah gasped, pulling away from him.

"I saw how tired you were, how you forgot to imagine, how you were terrified of owls. You needed him, and so I wished he would come."

"I…I don't know what to say!" Sarah gasped. "Frankie, you didn't wish for him to take me away, did you?"

"No!" Frankie said quickly. "I never wished that. I just wanted him to return and show you how to dream again, how to have fun. That's all."

Sarah's head suddenly started to spin, and her vision began to blur.

"Not again. I will not faint again," she whispered to herself.

"Excuse me. Might I have this dance?" A voice, smooth and English, asked from behind her. "Or would you mind, Frankie?"

"I wouldn't mind, Mr. Jareth," Frankie said and then disappeared amongst all the other children.

Sarah could feel her legs buckling, could see the room swirling around her, but before she was engulfed in darkness, two strong arms found their way around her waist and pulled her close to something solid, something she could hold onto.

"I imagine that information came as quite a shock to you," Jareth told her as he began to dance across the floor with her.

"I thought you came because I wished it!" Sarah said dizzily.

"I did," Jareth nodded. "Frankie wished for me to come before you did, but your desire to dream again reaffirmed that I should indeed come."

"I don't know what to think! A child wished for you to come back into my life! A child!" Sarah whispered, looking up into his face.

"There's nothing like the mind of a child," Jareth smiled and put his cool hand to her forehead. "Breathe, Sarah. It's all right."

"I need some fresh air," Sarah said hoarsely. "There's a balcony just off the far side of this room. Please bring me there."

Jareth nodded and then danced with her to the balcony. He opened the door for her and then watched as she stepped out into the crisp night air and sat down on one of the railings. She closed her eyes and took in deep gulps of the fresh air, trying to calm her nerves.

Several children saw her step onto the balcony, and they followed her, wanting to hear her story. They asked her to tell it to them, but she was unable to speak, so great was her shock.

"I don't think she can tell us a story right now," Frankie said with concern, looking up at Jareth. "Will she be okay?"

"I think so," Jareth nodded.

"Will you tell us a story?" one of the children asked.

"I suppose I can do that," Jareth smiled and then sat down on the floor. To his surprise and pleasure, two of the children, boys no older than four years old, sat down on his lap and looked up at him expectantly.

"Once there was a beautiful girl whose stepmother always got in the way," Jareth began, and Sarah let out a sigh.

Jareth told the story of the Labyrinth from his perspective, awing the children with his details about the Goblin City, Ludo, Hoggle, Sir Didymus, and Ambroscious. Sarah listened to him quietly, having never heard his version of the story. Her heart nearly broke when, at the end of the story, Jareth explained how the beautiful girl had left the Goblin King, tearing his heart asunder. He told how the Goblin King vowed that he would see the girl again, and the next time, she would fall in love with him and perhaps, just maybe, his broken heart would mend.

Just as Jareth finished the story, the younger children were called inside to get ready for bed. Frankie alone remained outside, and he put his hand on Sarah's shoulder, the worried expression still on his young face.

"I'm sorry I never told you, Miss Sarah. I shouldn't have wished what I did, but I wanted you to be happy again. Would you please forgive me?"

"Of course," Sarah smiled, drawing him into a hug. "You did what you thought you had to do."

"So what special power did he give you?"

"The power to make my dreams become true," Sarah said, gazing up at the clear, starry sky, a twinkle coming into her eyes. "Would you care to meet the real Peter Pan, Frankie? I can almost see him up there with Tinkerbell."

"The _real_ Peter Pan? You could actually make him come right here, right now?" Frankie gasped excitedly.

"I think I can, if you want," Sarah nodded.

"Oh yes!" Frankie exclaimed. "I've always wanted to see Peter Pan!"

"Why Peter Pan, of all people?" Jareth asked, still a bit sore about him thinking the boy who would never grow up was his rival for Sarah.

"Because he's cool!" Frankie exclaimed.

"Oh, all right. Go ahead Sarah. You have my permission," Jareth said with a wave of his hand.

"I didn't think I needed it," Sarah grinned, catching the note of jealousy in his voice. "Let me see if I can imagine Peter Pan, Frankie."

Sarah gazed up at the stars and let her thoughts roam free. She looked at the moon, radiating beautifully on the trees and casting an eerie glow over the house. She didn't look at Jareth, who was leaning against the balcony railing, his arms folded across his chest.

"Peter Pan," Sarah said slowly, "doesn't arrive just like any normal person. He has to have some special introduction of some sort…some unique entrance, like a shooting star. That's it!" she exclaimed excitedly, looking back up at the stars and seeing them twinkle merrily at her. "That's how he was first introduced in the story! The stars called him! Look at the stars, Frankie!" Sarah said, putting her hand on Frankie's shoulder. "They're moving!"

"You're right!" Frankie gasped, watching with Sarah as the stars began to dance.

One of the smallest of the stars suddenly shot across the sky, and a tiny ray of light fell off of it and plummeted towards the small balcony.

"What's that?" Frankie panicked, grabbing Sarah's hand as the light came closer and closer with every passing second.

"That," Sarah said, face shining with pleasure. "Is Tinkerbell."

The light suddenly dove through the air, coming to fall directly in front of Frankie's face. He jumped back, but watched with curiosity, as the light stopped flittering just long enough for him to see a tiny fairy, dressed in a skeleton leaf and glowing like the sun, hovering in front of him.

"It is her! She's beautiful!" Frankie said in awe.

"But she's extremely vain, too," a voice, chipper and youthful declared from the tree branch behind Jareth.

Jareth, for the first time in his very long life, was startled and turned around quickly.

"It's him! It's him!" Frankie shouted, clapping his hands together. "Miss Sarah! It's Peter Pan!"

Peter Pan, for indeed it was he, lifted gracefully off the tree and came to land on the railing in front of Sarah. He bowed politely, his hat in hand, and then stood up straight, gazing into her eyes with his piercing orbs of green. He smiled, a cocky smile, and showed all of his baby teeth.

"Wow! I've always wanted to meet you, Peter Pan!" Frankie said, letting go of Sarah's hand and stepping towards the enchanting fellow from Neverland. "You're even better in real life than I imagined!"

"Who are you?" Peter asked curtly, running a hand through his wild, curly hair.

"Frankie! I was one of your lost boys in the play!"

"I see. Would you care for a kiss?" Peter Pan asked Sarah, doing a merry little dance.

"No, she wouldn't," Jareth said shortly, wrapping an arm around Sarah and pulling her against him.

"It's just an acorn button, Jareth," Sarah whispered and then held her hand out to Peter. "I would like a kiss, please."

"Very well," Peter said happily, and he pulled an acorn button off his vest of leaves. "You, Frankie, would you care for one too?"

"Oh, yes please!" Frankie cheered delightedly. "Tell me, Peter, what do you spend your time doing now that Captain Hook is dead?"

"Whatever I like," Peter said, sitting down on the balcony railing. "Fighting pirates, chasing Indians, and talking with the mermaids."

"What's it like to fly?" Frankie asked, entirely bewitched by the person before him.

"You've never flown?" Peter asked. "I'll show you what it's like. Tink, give him some fairy dust, would you?"

The sound of tiny bells became audible, and Frankie watched, eyes wide and mouth open as the dainty fairy flew about him, pieces of gold glitter covering his head and shoulders. Tinkerbell then moved over to Sarah, who laughed as the fairy dust was sprinkled on her, and then over to Jareth, who promptly scowled and tried to swat the nuisance away.

"Now, you just think happy thoughts, and they lift you into the air," Peter said, shooting up towards the stars as easily as a cat jumps onto a piece of furniture.

Frankie didn't say what he was thinking, but very few of the young boy's thoughts were unhappy, and so without any trouble at all, he lifted off the ground and joined Peter in the air, hovering above the orphanage.

"I don't know that this was such a good idea," Sarah said uncomfortably, watching Frankie play tag with Peter Pan, both of the boys shooting through the air like rockets.

"You've always wanted to fly. Now's your chance," Jareth said calmly.

"But I don't know! What if someone comes out and sees this?" Sarah frowned.

"Sarah," Jareth said, taking one of her hands in his. "Now is the time to put aside reality and do what you always wanted to do. Close your eyes and think of happy things, like the child said."

"All right," Sarah sighed and closed her eyes. "I'm thinking of flying horses, Toby, Karen and Dad."

She opened her eyes and saw immediately that she was hovering above the orphanage. She gasped and grabbed hold of Jareth, her eyes wide with terror.

"Jareth!" she exclaimed. "I'm afraid of heights!"

"I won't let you fall," Jareth said, squeezing her hands gently in his.

"Miss Sarah! Look at me!" Frankie exclaimed, spinning past her.

"Oh! Oh! Be careful Frankie! If you get hurt, I'll never forgive myself!" Sarah gasped, reaching one hand out as though trying to grab him and pull him to safety.

"Don't worry about the boy," Jareth said. "Dance with me."

"Not here! I'll fall! Oh, why did I ever want to be able to fly?" Sarah asked, grabbing hold of Jareth's shoulders and clinging tightly to him.

"Shh…" Jareth smiled. "It's not so bad. Move your legs. Come on, move those feet."

He started to dance, and Sarah had no choice but to dance with him. She clung tightly to his jacket, terrorized of falling. Before she knew it, she had forgotten about how high off the ground she was and had focused all her attention on the handsome man that held her so safely to him. His eyes were sparkling with the starlight, and his hair looked white in the moonlight.

A gentle breeze was blowing, making Jareth's hair move slightly. A few strands stubbornly came to rest over his brown eye, and Sarah reached up timidly and pushed it away. She moved her hand slowly, uncertainly, and then brought it away from Jareth's hair, finding, with some surprise, that she didn't want to stop feeling his face beneath her hand. She moved her fingers gently down his cheek and then, as if in a spell, ran the tips of her fingers across his lips. She gasped with surprise and quickly removed her hand when she felt him gently kiss her fingertips.

"I'm…I'm sorry," she stammered. "I don't know what's come over me."

"Sarah," Jareth began gently, but Sarah shook her head.

"No. Please, let me down. Peter!" she called to the boy. "How do I get down?"

"It's easy!" Frankie exclaimed. "Just think of something unhappy."

Sarah floated easily to the balcony and then called up to Frankie.

"Frankie, come on back down! It's time to go in, I think!"

"Okay," Frankie sighed and then dropped and came to a stand beside Sarah. "Thank you for showing me how to fly, Peter," he said, smiling at Peter Pan as he landed gracefully on the balcony railing.

"You're welcome," Peter said with a bow and then shot like a rocket back up into the sky, Tink shining at his feet.

A shooting star was seen, flashing across the sky, and then all was returned to how it was before.

"That…" Frankie said breathlessly, "Was amazing. You have an awesome gift, Miss Sarah!"

"Perhaps," Sarah said, stepping past Jareth and opening the doors to the inside. "Time to go in, Frankie."

Sarah was silent as she drove herself and Jareth back to her house half an hour later. What had happened up in the sky? Had she really had the gall to touch the Goblin King when he was awake? What _was_ the matter with her? Three words taunted her as she drove, mocking her every contradicting thought. _"You love him! You love him! You love him!"_

Sarah couldn't bring herself to say goodnight to Jareth when they stepped out of the car and walked up the stairs to her house. She walked inside and then waved to Jareth as she closed the house door.

Why, every time she was near the man, did she have to go and do something completely embarrassing?


	11. This Love was Meant to Be

**Here we are! Chapter Eleven! Thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone who's been reviewing!! You all are terrific! I'm glad you all are enjoying this story! It's definitely my favorite that I've put on this website so far! Continue enjoying, and let me know what you think!**

"**Hold fast to dreams, for if dreams die, life is a broken winged bird that cannot fly." - Langston Hughes**

**Chapter Eleven: This Love was Meant to Be**

An eerie clap of thunder startled Sarah out of her sleep several hours later. She sat up abruptly in her bed and shivered when she heard rain, with the loudness and intensity of hail, pounding against her window. Thunder crashed like cannons from the War of 1812, and lightning illuminated the room, throwing everything out of proportion.

Sarah tried to steady the wild beating of her heart as the storm raged outside, but storms like this scared her when she was alone, and she found it impossible to calm down. She grabbed her blankets and pulled them tightly to her chest, trembling fearfully.

Another flash of lightning erupted outside, and it was accompanied by the sound of a great tree breaking and falling to the ground.

"Jareth!" Sarah suddenly exclaimed and ran to her window.

She looked outside to see that her tree was the one that had fallen. Terrified, she grabbed a bathrobe and threw it hastily over her pajamas. She ran out into her hallway and then rushed down the stairs to the back door. She unlocked it quickly and then flung it open.

"Jareth!" she shouted, her voice drowned out by the rain. "Goblin King, are you all right?"

She received no answer, and a terror that she had never known seized Sarah's heart.

"Oh Lord," she prayed, looking up to the angry sky. "Don't let him be hurt, please?"

She stuck her head outside, ignoring the rain pounding against her face and hair, and shouted again.

"Jareth! Jareth, come inside!"

Again, her calls were not answered, and with something very much like a sob, Sarah stepped back into the house and closed and locked her door. She wrapped her bathrobe as tightly as she could around her shivering body and then walked up the stairs to her room.

"Please don't be hurt!" she pleaded within herself. "Oh Jareth, don't be hurt!"

Sarah climbed back into her bed and then pulled the blankets over her body and head. She shuddered as she listened to the thunder, and tears streamed down her cheeks. She was afraid, terribly afraid, for the Goblin King, and there was no denying it this time.

"Come back," she cried into her pillow. "I'm sorry I was so cruel to you, Goblin King. The story wasn't complete, like Frankie said, for what no one knew was that the girl had fallen in love with the Goblin King and had given her heart to him. Oh Jareth, stay safe! I couldn't bear it if you were hurt!"

She closed her eyes tightly and hugged her blankets to her chest. She couldn't fall back asleep immediately, but thought about the man she had just confessed her to love to. She couldn't understand how he had won her like he had. Maybe it was his playful smirk, or his gorgeous eyes. Perhaps it was his magic playing a trick on her, or maybe it was the way he danced. One way or another, Sarah could no longer deny the truth.

Morning came, bringing with it glorious sunlight and a fresh, cool day. Sarah got dressed quickly and then rushed outside, immediately running to the fallen tree outside her window. She dropped down on her hands and knees in the leaves and began pushing branches aside, desperately searching for any signs of an injured owl. She was dismayed when she found several white feathers nestled in between a great tangle of branches, and she brought the soft articles to her face and studied them carefully. There wasn't a single drop of blood or a single fault to the beautiful feathers, and Sarah let out a sigh of relief. She stood up and then went back into the house. She placed the feathers on one of the kitchen counters and then moved over to the refrigerator.

"Jareth," she said gently. "Wherever you are, you can come back now."

There wasn't a sound in the house, and Sarah let out a sigh as she pulled out a piece of fruit. "I must have made him lose hope," she said sadly. "Maybe if I imagine something he'll reappear. I wouldn't mind it at all if some birds sang for me a little bit while I eat. Hmm…"

Sarah opened the window above the kitchen sink and then looked outside, watching as drops of water fell gently from boughs of trees.

"Two little bluebirds would be so sweet. All right, that's what I'll dream of. There will be two little bluebirds, their feathers of the brightest, cleanest blue, sitting right here on my windowsill, singing cheerfully. They'll fly onto the windowsill from one of the tree branches."

Sarah leaned her head out of the window and looked up at the tree that stood just outside it. She looked up into the branches and then gasped with surprise and delight when she saw two birds, their coats a sharp blue and their chests made of the brightest red. They cocked their heads pleasantly at her and then swooped down, coming to land on her outstretched hand.

"Now see here," Sarah playfully scolded. "I wanted you to land on the windowsill, not my hand."

The birds chirped merrily and then hopped off of her hands and onto the windowsill. They began to sing cheerfully, their voices sweet and happy.

Sarah smiled and then washed her hands before cutting up her apple. She gazed about the kitchen as she began to cut the fruit, hoping desperately that Jareth would show up since she had used some of her power. He didn't, and she let out a sigh of disappointment and worry. The birds didn't let her stay concerned for very long, however, for their sweet voices blotted out all of Sarah's worry, and she watched them joyfully as she ate her pieces of apple.

Once she was finished, Sarah gave two pieces of the delicious fruit to the birds, and then watched with delight as they ate the pieces, chirping cheerfully at her the entire time and hopping about like little soldiers.

"Forget Snow White," Sarah laughed as one of the birds flew up to her face and tapped her cheek gently with his beak. "She had the whole woods in her house, but I just have two sweet little birds. Here. Take some more pieces for your nest," Sarah smiled, taking out another apple and cutting it into slices. She placed the pieces of apple on the windowsill and then watched with pleasure as each bird took a piece of apple in its beak and then flew up into the tree.

They returned several times to get the rest of the apple and then sang one chipper little song before they disappeared into the tree.

Sarah turned away from the window and glanced at her calendar. She had a meeting with the rest of the social workers at 11:00, and then at three o' clock she had to check in on the Sawyer family to make sure that Jonathan Sawyer wasn't being abused.

Sarah moved over to the counter where the owl feathers were and then picked up the delicate objects carefully.

"Goblin King, Goblin King, wherever you may be," she said firmly, looking about the room. "Come and take these feathers of mine far away from me!"

She looked hopefully about the room and sighed when she didn't see Jareth anywhere.

"What kind of rubbish is that anyway?"

"It doesn't even start with 'I wish!'"

Two different voices sounded from underneath one of the kitchen cabinets, and Sarah turned slowly and walked over to it.

"Did she say it yet?"

"Be quiet!"

"She's coming!"

"Ah! Hide! Hide!"

"I thought we were hiding?"

Sarah flung the cabinet door open and then looked inside, catching sight of several wide eyes and short goblins cowering in the cabinet.

"Ah ha! I caught you this time!" She exclaimed. "Where is the Goblin King?"

"Why should we tell you?" the leader of the goblins asked, folding his fuzzy arms across his chest.

"Because if you don't," Sarah said briskly, grabbing the goblin and pulling him out of the cabinet. "I shall have you thrown headfirst into the Bog of Eternal Stench."

"Ha!" the goblin quipped. "Only his majesty can do that, and he's too busy now seeing to the state of his kingdom to do that!"

"So he's in the Labyrinth?" Sarah asked, placing the goblin on the counter.

"Did I say that?"

"Yes, you did," one of the slow goblins said from under the cabinet.

"Yes, he is. Perhaps he doesn't like you anymore, so he left," the goblin said, sticking his tongue out at Sarah. "Maybe he never wants to see you again."

"Why does he not come when I call?"

"Since when did you think that his majesty could simply be called?" The goblin scowled. "He's a king. He doesn't have to come whenever you want him to. He probably doesn't want to see you anyway."

"That's not true," said the slow goblin. "Everyone knows he loves the girl."

"Shut it!" Two of the goblins screeched and covered their ignorant comrade's mouth.

"Is this some kind of test?" Sarah asked, confused.

"No. He's back in the Labyrinth and he's not coming back here! Oh, I do believe we're being called!" the leader of the goblins said and promptly disappeared.

"He's not coming back?" Sarah asked quietly, putting her hand to her forehead. "But why? What have I done? He's not still jealous of Peter Pan, is he?"

Sarah moved about in a daze for the rest of the morning. She couldn't think straight, and throughout the whole meeting with the other social workers, she couldn't concentrate. Jareth had left her. Why? Why, now that she had firmly stated that she loved him?

Elaine invited Sarah to lunch, and Sarah, crestfallen and frightened, accepted the invitation. Once the two women were sitting down at their table, Elaine reached out and put a hand over her friend's.

"Sarah," she spoke soothingly. "Whatever is the matter?"

"Nothing," Sarah said, shaking her head to bring her back to the present time. "Nothing's wrong."

"Yes, something is wrong. Where is Jareth?"

"He's gone," Sarah said tiredly.

"Gone? Where? When did he leave?"

"He left last night. He went back to his country," Sarah answered.

"I thought you didn't care for him much?" Elaine grinned.

"I thought I didn't too, but I was wrong. The heart is deceitful, Elaine. I love him, love him very much. I always have."

"Then call him! Tell him! Don't you dare let him slip out of your fingers, Sarah! It's time you started living outside of social work! You've spent the past five years without giving a single thought to yourself, always helping others. It's time to get out and _do_ something! You're almost thirty! It's time you lived a little bit!"

"I tried calling him," Sarah said, her voice choking as tears filled her eyes. "He won't answer."

"Did you do anything to hurt him?"

"Oh, I've done several things to hurt him, but that never deterred him in the past," Sarah said with a weak chuckle.

"Then he'll be back," Elaine said determinedly.

"And how do you know that?"

"He loves you, Sarah. Everyone that saw you two together knew that. I mean, what other man would go with a girl to go dress shopping? And, not only that, he picked out the _perfect_ dress. He's watched you, studied you, and I know he enjoyed how you constantly harassed him, because his eyes would light up. He'll be back. What else do you have planned for today?"

"I'm going to visit the Sawyers."

"Is that all?"

"That's all," Sarah nodded.

"Before then, go out and do something for yourself. Go buy a movie or something. Relax a bit, and don't worry about Jareth. If he loves you enough, he'll be back."

_"I suppose he did wait an awfully long time to return this last time," _Sarah thought to herself.

The meeting with the Sawyer family went much better than Sarah had expected. Mr. and Mrs. Sawyer had been accused, a month ago, of abusing their child, Jonathan, but upon further investigation, it had been found that they hadn't abused him at all and were dismayed by the false reports. They were a very pleasant family to visit, and Sarah found, for the two hours she was with them, that her mind wasn't at all concerned about Jareth. She didn't have time to think about him, for Mr. Sawyer kept her occupied with fishing stories, Mrs. Sawyer shared recipes and motherly advice with her, and Jonathan insisted she play air hockey with him at least four times.

When that pleasant meeting was finished, Sarah went to the bookstore, her favorite place to shop. She wandered through the biographies, browsed through the fiction and nonfiction, and lingered in the fantasy. Out of curiosity, she looked for "The Labyrinth," and to her surprise, she found it. The versions of the book at the bookstore weren't nearly as nice as her own was. They were hard-covered books with gold covers and "The Labyrinth" written in a red, swirl font.

Sarah opened one of the books and flipped through it, smiling as she read the familiar lines of her once-beloved story. She was amazed to find that "the girl" had been replaced with "Sarah."

"How did he do it?" she asked herself, running her hand gently over an illustration of the Goblin King. "Jareth, please come back."

Sarah bought an 80s CD collection and then drove home. The sun was already setting, and she went into the house and made herself a pasta and meat dish for dinner.

It was very lonely, sitting in the dining room all by herself, and she considered imagining a centaur or some other creature to sit with her and eat, but it just didn't seem right to invite someone else to sit in Jareth's spot.

When the meal was finished, Sarah went into the kitchen and cleaned her dishes, humming along to her new CDs as she did so.

As she was finishing cleaning the last dish, the song changed from Kenny Loggin's "Danger Zone" to Eric Carmen's "Hungry Eyes," and Sarah sighed wistfully. She closed her eyes and simply enjoyed the song, standing still and letting the love song sweep over her.

She didn't see that there was a pair of "hungry eyes" watching her from the kitchen doorway. She couldn't feel the rapid beating of her admirer's heart as the song continued, beautiful and strong.

"I want to hold you so hear me out.

I want to show you what love's all about,

Darlin tonight.

Now I've got you in my sights,

With these hungry eyes…"

Sarah stood quietly until the song finished. She turned, about to leave the kitchen, and let out a surprised gasp when two hands found her own and pulled her against a solid body. Her eyes immediately moved to the eyes of her captor, and she let out another gasp when they came to rest on one chocolate eye and one ice blue eye.

"You're…you're back!" she stammered, uncertain how to react to Jareth's sudden appearance.

"You didn't think I'd be back?" Jareth asked, an eyebrow arched.

"I thought you had left for good."

"You thought me a coward? I don't give up that easily, Sarah," Jareth growled, turning away from her and walking out of the kitchen.

"Wait! I didn't mean it like that!" Sarah exclaimed, chasing after him and putting her hand on his shoulder. "I…I originally thought…" She stopped to try and clear the quiver out of her voice. "I thought you had been hurt in the storm. I called you and called you last night, but you didn't come. I was going to invite you in. I was afraid…afraid that you had been hurt."

"You were afraid for me?" Jareth asked, eyes wide with surprise.

"Yes. I didn't want you to be hurt. Why did you stay away for so long?" Sarah asked quietly, watching as he turned to face her.

"Did you really think I could stay away from my kingdom for a long time without going back and seeing how it fared?" Jareth asked, voice softening. "I respected your wishes that I sleep outside of your house, Sarah, and decided to return to the Labyrinth for the night. I'm afraid I didn't pay close enough attention to the time difference between your world and my own."

"Oh," Sarah said, her voice trembling and tears quivering in her eyes for reasons that she couldn't explain. "I'm glad you weren't hurt."

"Are those tears? Tears in my precious Sarah's eyes?" Jareth asked, stepping close to her and moving his gloved thumb to her cheek.

"I…I thought you were gone for good," Sarah sniffed, looking away as he let her tears drop onto his fingers.

"And that upset you?" Jareth asked gently.

"Yes. Funny, isn't it?" Sarah tried to laugh, but her laugh came more as a sob. "I was so scared!"

"Shh… My darling Sarah, my queen, my only love," Jareth crooned, reaching out and pulling her close to him. "I would never leave you."

"I know," Sarah whispered, looking up at him as another tear dropped onto her cheek.

Jareth smiled gently and then moved his mouth to her face. Slowly, he kissed the tear, his lips lingering on his beloved's fair skin, testing her reaction to him. To his delight, Sarah didn't move, but closed her eyes and leaned into him.

"Sarah, I believe you are ready to see the Labyrinth now," Jareth said, pulling away.

"No," Sarah said, shaking her head. "You've done nothing but grant my wishes ever since you've known me. It's time I granted one of yours."

"It would give me great honor," Jareth said with kingly regality, "if you would accompany me to my world to see it as it truly is for one night."

"If that is your wish, then I will fulfill it," Sarah smiled and then placed her hand in his. "Show me your world, Goblin King."

Jareth smiled and then stepped forward with her. The room swirled as they moved, and before Sarah quite knew what to think, they had disappeared.


	12. My Possession

**Here we go! Chapter Twelve is now up! This was the most intense romance scene I've probably ever written, so let me know what you think! Thank you so much for all the reviews and encouragement! All of you are terrific!**

"**When we are dreaming alone it is only a dream. When we are dreaming with others, it is the beginning of reality." –Dom Helder Camara**

**Chapter Twelve: My Possession**

Sarah felt a gentle breeze toying with her long hair, and she slowly opened her eyes. She was standing on an immense, gorgeous meadow. She turned her head and saw a herd of horses, white as snow, grazing, fireflies buzzing merrily about them. She ran her hands down the front of her shirt and was surprised to feel silk beneath her fingers. Looking down, she found that she was again clothed in her black dress from the orphanage, the only difference being now that she was barefoot and her long hair was down, flowing gracefully about her neck, shoulders, and back.

"Welcome to my Labyrinth," a voice whispered in her ear, and Sarah turned her head to see Jareth standing directly behind her, clothed in an open white poet shirt and black breeches.

"This…this is beautiful. It's nothing like what I saw," Sarah said, watching him as he stepped around her so that he was facing her.

"That's because you dreamed that it was a dark place full of frightening creatures and incredible twists and turns. I believe your view of it was influenced slightly by 'Alice in Wonderland,'" Jareth smirked, his pointed teeth glittering in the moonlight.

"The stars are so close. It almost looks like you can touch them," Sarah said, gazing up at the hundreds of stars that were sparkling in the black velvet sky.

"Come. I want you to see my kingdom," Jareth said, taking her hand in his. "This field is only a tiny part of it."

Sarah lifted her skirt a bit with one hand while she walked with him, enjoying the way the silk and tall grass brushed across her legs, dancing in the breeze.

Jareth began to pick up pace, and before Sarah knew it, they were running across the field. The Goblin King was laughing, like a young boy, and he released Sarah's hand.

"Jareth!" Sarah shouted, chasing after him, her cheeks rosy and her eyes shining. "Wait!"

"Why wait?" he asked, turning to face her and stopping just long enough for her to get close enough to reach out her hand.

She nearly grabbed him, but before their hands touched, Jareth was off again, running back and forth in front of her, taunting her to no end.

"For a man of your age," Sarah laughed, twirling as she ran, "isn't all that bounding rather dangerous?"

"Can you not outrun an old man?" Jareth asked, looking at her over his shoulder.

"Oh!" Sarah exclaimed and then quickened her pace.

The two danced about like a couple of young deer, leaping and running, twirling and flying. Jareth delighted in Sarah getting just close enough to touch him and then leaping away. He ran in circles around her, teasing her and laughing merrily at her attempts to touch him. Sarah couldn't help but laugh and enjoy the chase, and she felt very much like a little girl playing Tag.

Ten minutes of this game passed before Jareth abruptly came to a stop and Sarah collided against him, threatening to knock him over. She grabbed hold of his shoulders to steady herself, and then laughed, eyes dancing as they gazed up into his.

"There!" she declared defiantly. "I've caught you!"

"So you have," Jareth smiled and then turned his head. He waved with his hand and then said simply, "My Labyrinth, Sarah."

Sarah looked before them, immediately noting that they were standing on the edge of a great grassy cliff. She gasped when she saw the gorgeous view that was stretched out before them.

Stretching out for an uncountable amount of miles was nothing but flower-filled meadows, every single patch of green alight with fireflies. Deer bounded in and out of the tall grass, and a great herd of horses galloped across the immeasurable green field.

Towering above the fields, glowing white in the moon and starlight, was a great, beautiful castle. It was enormous, and every window was alight. It was surrounded by hundreds of houses, front lights on and sparkling merrily in the darkness.

Sarah's breathing quickened as she surveyed the gorgeous scene, and Jareth could feel her chest rising and falling against his shirt. He stepped away from her, allowing her to fully take in the whole picture, and moved behind her.

"What do you think?" he asked, placing his hands on her shoulders and gently rubbing them.

"How could I not have seen this?" Sarah whispered, eyes wide with amazement. "Jareth, it's beautiful!"

"I had hoped you would like it. In the daytime, it is just as beautiful. I will show you," Jareth said, and he waved his hand gently.

The stars, moon and black sky began to fade away, the sky quickly becoming a bright, beautiful blue, the stars turning into white, billowing clouds, and the moon turning into a warm, radiating sun. The castle shone white and gold in the sunlight, the fireflies were replaced by butterflies, and accompanying the horses were unicorns, their golden horns shining brilliantly in the daylight. A great waterfall pounded just beyond the castle, making a steady stream run through the center of the castle's surrounding village. The water sparkled and shone in the sunlight, looking welcoming and cool.

"How can you do that?" Sarah asked.

"For you I can do anything."

"Will you change it back to night?"

"I move the stars for no one, except you," Jareth whispered in her ear, and almost immediately, the sky changed again, once more becoming night.

Sarah closed her eyes and took in a deep breath of the fresh, pure air. She let the breeze play with her hair and rustle her dress, and she kept her eyes closed as Jareth came closer to her, his body pressing against her back, letting his breath caress her neck and cheek. Her body warmed in his presence, her cheeks became flushed and her breathing quickened.

"To think," Jareth whispered in her ear, wrapping his arms around her stomach and pulling her closer to him. "This could all have been yours."

"Jareth," Sarah sighed, leaning her head back against his chest, her heart beating wildly within her at his closeness. "Why did I run from you for so long?"

"I was the villain in your eyes, the frightening, powerful king."

"Yes," she nodded gently. "I suppose that was the case, but Jareth, you really aren't too frightening. And, when you are frightening," she paused, trying to gather the courage to speak her mind, "when you are frightening," she whispered, "I like it."

Jareth didn't answer, and Sarah turned her head slightly to look up into his face. His eyes locked onto hers intensely, and passion flamed up inside of them.

"Truly, I can be cruel," he smiled slightly. "Would you care for me to demonstrate?"

"No," Sarah whispered, watching as his eyes moved longingly from her eyes to her lips. "This is your dream, Jareth, and I won't have you doing anything more for me."

"My precious Sarah," Jareth smiled, lowering his face to hers and rubbing his nose gently against her own. "My own precious Sarah."

Sarah closed her eyes as his breath brushed gently against her lips, taunting her and heightening her emotions. She quivered as she felt his breath, like a warm, soft wisp of wind barely touching her sensitive skin.

He was being terribly cruel, letting his lips linger just above hers, only his breath touching her ruby lips, promising beautiful things and glorious rapture, but never, never did his mouth touch her.

"Jareth," she pleaded, her blood pulsing and her voice barely above a whisper. "Jareth, please, I beg you, just kiss me."

"Has my cruelty overwhelmed you?" he asked, his voice deep.

"Oh Jareth," she breathed as he pulled his face away from hers, leaving her lips cold. "Jareth, stop torturing me. Please, your majesty, satisfy these longings."

Jareth smiled, his eyes glittering as he gazed at the epitome of beauty before him, the woman he had loved for a very long time. How he had desired to hear her speak such words! How she had haunted his dreams, and how she had tortured him by withholding her kisses! She had never looked as beautiful to him as she did now, her eyes closed in longing, her face tilted up towards his, begging him, _pleading_ him for just one touch, one loving gesture. It seemed as though there was nothing more she wanted than to have him love her, and her very soul seemed to be begging him, as was portrayed by the emotion in her face.

He lowered his mouth to hers and gently, wistfully, let his lips move across hers, barely tasting her, but savoring each second. He heard her let out a quivering sigh as he moved his lips away, and she opened her dark eyes and smiled up at him.

"After such a long time of waiting," she said gently, "I thought that would be longer."

"Are you disappointed?" Jareth smiled.

Sarah turned in his arms and put her hands behind his neck, stroking the silky hair that draped elegantly over his skin. She stood up on her tiptoes and brushed her cheek against his, moving her mouth to his ear. He shivered at her closeness, at the feeling of her fingers moving gently over the skin of his neck as she weaved her fingers through his hair.

"Don't be afraid. I am yours, Goblin King, and I'll never be anyone else's. I never want to be anyone else's. You mean everything to me. You've rescued me from my harsh world of realities, and it's only fair that the knight in shining armor be fully rewarded by his damsel in despair. All the stories say so. I am your possession, your slave. You have full rule over me," Sarah whispered, her voice quivering.

"My possession?" Jareth asked, nuzzling his cheek against hers and liking the sound of that phrase.

He felt Sarah smile against his cheek and then drew his face back slightly.

"Such spirit," he smiled and then brought his lips to the corner of her mouth.

Slowly, passionately, he nuzzled his lips against the delicate corner of her lips, causing her to shiver in his grasp and her blood to run hot. She moved her hands to his shirt and clung to him, drowning in his touch.

"Jareth," she whispered, eyes closed in bliss as he touched the edge of her lips gently with his own. "Jareth, I love you."

He smiled in response and continued moving across her lips with small, delicate kisses. By the time he was halfway finished, she had begun responding, matching each kiss with one of her own. When he reached the end of her mouth, the kisses were firmer, more complete and solid.

Sarah didn't want him to let go, didn't want to stop feeling his mouth against hers. She pressed her lips firmly against his, begging him not to leave as quickly as he had before, pleading with him to show her his love, to show her the passion he had been withholding for so long.

Jareth had no intention of stopping with just those tiny butterfly kisses. When he finished touching the corner of her lips again, he brought his mouth back to hers and touched her lips softly, like an ocean breeze against a small flower. He savored her touch, savored her taste, and her scent intoxicated him. He didn't want to frighten her by his growing passion, did want to scare her away with his desire.

Sarah smiled against his mouth and then thrilled him by kissing him deeply without his encouragement. She deepened her kiss more than he had, causing a noise very much like a purr to vibrate in his throat.

It seemed then as though all hesitation was erased from Sarah, and she released the love and passion she had been feeling for him all those years but had refused to show. She reacted to his sound and moved her mouth swiftly against his, her restraint seemingly gone to the wind. Jareth's eyes widened with surprise for only a second as her mouth moved insistently over his, and then he indulged himself in her open invitation to love her, to cherish her and carry her away. He growled and touched her lips with his own possessively, claiming with each movement that she was his, that she belonged to none other but him. His hands found their way to her waist, and he picked her up gently, letting her put her hands to his neck and run her fingers feverishly through his hair. He wanted this moment never to end, this passion and frenzy of being together, at being in the stronghold of love. How long had he waited for this? He couldn't remember, and he couldn't care less. Sarah was here _now_. She was his, was clinging to him and kissing him with so much passion that all those hundreds of years of waiting seemed like nothing.

Seconds began to fly by like a salsa dance. Jareth rubbed Sarah's back passionately as she pulled at his hair, the only thing seeming to keep them alive being each other's breath.

"What took so long for you to find me?" Jareth asked breathlessly in between a kiss. "I thought I had lost you forever."

"It's only forever," Sarah spoke urgently, her fingers tracing each line in his high-boned cheeks as she placed another kiss on his lips. "Not long at all."

"My Sarah," he growled, kissing her lips again and then her jaw. "My precious, precious Sarah…" He murmured deeply, losing himself in her as he moved his lips urgently against her skin.

"Jareth," Sarah whispered, her eyes closed and her face to the sky as he rained kisses on her skin. "Jareth, we have to stop."

"Do we?" he murmured against her ear.

"Yes. We have to stop now before we can't stop at all," Sarah said, pulling away from him and putting her hand gently on his chest. "We aren't married, and I cannot just cast aside all of my standards for one night of pleasure. I have children to take care of. What would my parents think if they saw me now?"

Jareth gazed down at her, at the dreamy look in her eyes, at her wind-tossed hair and her beautiful silk dress that so perfectly covered her lovely form.

"They would think," he said, putting his hand on her cheek, "that you are madly in love and are the most gorgeous creature to ever exist. Darling, my precious Sarah, you belong here, belong with me, in my arms, lost to your dreams, all realities shoved aside."

Sarah blushed, her chest rising and falling rapidly as she tried to regain control over her emotions.

"Oh Goblin King," she said softly, leaning into his hand, "how I love you, but we must put up our standards. I think we let ourselves fall a bit far tonight, and while it was heightening and pleasurable, and I very much desire to have more romance, it would be wrong right now. I have my responsibilities to myself and to others that prevent me from continuing on with you, though the night and I so wish to continue with you. I know this is where I belong, where I've _always_ belonged, but just because something feels so right, feels so perfect, it doesn't mean it is so. I have to do the right thing, the _moral _thing, and stop. Please, help me to remain controlled."

"Is that what you truly wish?" Jareth asked, kissing her forehead.

"Yes, for the time being. There will be a day when I can openly love you without guilt, but now is not the right time."

"Then I will abide to my queen's wishes," Jareth murmured, touching his lips to her own and then pulling back. "Back to the Aboveground we go."

A swirl of color surrounded the two, and they found themselves standing in Sarah's kitchen. Sarah pulled away from Jareth and pushed several strands of hair out of her face, her heart still pounding wildly, and her breathing still rapid and excited.

"I shall return to the Labyrinth, Sarah, for I have several matters to attend to," Jareth spoke, his voice sending goosebumps up her arms.

"When will you return?"

"Perhaps not for several days."

"Jareth," Sarah said, looking over her shoulder at him and resisting the urge to run to him and throw her arms around him again. "How can I bring myself back to that beautiful place you showed me?"

"You cannot simply imagine yourself there," Jareth said with a small smile. "The Labyrinth you just saw takes a great deal more than dreams. It takes heart. I don't believe you have the ability to return to it on your own just yet. There will come a time when you will be able to wish your way back. I must leave, my darling."

"One more kiss," Sarah said, drawing closer to him.

She pressed her lips against his, eyes closed tightly, and then breathed in deeply as the feeling of his lips slowly disappeared. She was extremely tempted to keep him with her, to continue their romance. She knew that just a word from her could stop him and could cast them both into a passion that neither of them had ever experienced. That would have been wrong however, and Sarah reluctantly opened her eyes to find that Jareth was gone, and in his place was a puff of glitter.

Sarah climbed the stairs up to her room, quivering as she contemplated the events of the past half hour. She brought her fingers to her lips and touched them tentatively, trying to convince herself that the whole evening hadn't been just some wonderful dream. She _had_ told the Goblin King she loved him and had even made herself his slave! What should happen if he didn't really love her, but she had bound herself to him anyway?

Sarah was surprised to hear music playing when she entered her room, and her eyes immediately turned to her music box with the little dark-haired princess. The princess was twirling on her pedestal, and the haunting melody of the small box was playing slowly, the words of its song soothing Sarah's concerns like a chocolate-covered strawberry.

_"I'll paint you mornings of gold, I'll spin you Valentine evenings,_

_Though we're strangers til now, we're choosing our path between the stars._

_I'll lay my love, between the stars."_

_"But I'll be there for you…as the world falls down."_

"Jareth," Sarah smiled, sitting down at her vanity and placing her hand gently on her statue of the Goblin King. "I'm so glad you came back."


	13. Hardships Unnumbered

**Thank God for social workers! Here it is…the next chapter! Thank you so much to everyone who has been reviewing! I really appreciate all of your input! Make sure to check out my profile page, as I have posted several challenges on it! Enjoy this chapter and please review!**

**Chapter Thirteen: Hardships Unnumbered**

The scent of freshly cut flowers, dew of the early morning still on their petals, aroused Sarah from her sleep the following morning. She turned in her bed, a small smile on her face, and then opened her eyes to see several beautiful flowers on her pillow next to her head. She picked up one of them and brought it to her nose, sighing with content as she breathed in the scent. There was a large peach on the table next to her bed, and Sarah sat up and reached over to take hold of it. The skin was velvety in her hand, and she brought the fruit to her lips and took a bite without question. The juicy sweetness of the peach was one of the most heavenly tastes Sarah had ever partaken of, and she closed her eyes blissfully and then stood up and stretched her arms.

Sunlight shone in through the window, and Sarah could hear birds chirping merrily outside. She moved over to her window and opened it, then went to her closet and pulled out some clothes for the day. She got dressed quickly and then went downstairs and made herself some breakfast.

Several bouquets of flowers decorated the kitchen, and several more filled the dining room. There was a crystal placed at the head of the dining room table, and Sarah picked it up and gazed intently into it. She could see Jareth astride a magnificent galloping white stallion, a centaur running alongside him. Jareth looked absolutely stunning with the wind whipping through his hair and his eyes fixed firmly ahead.

"I must be the luckiest girl in the world," Sarah sighed as the image of her king disappeared.

Sarah was overflowing with joy when she entered her office an hour later. Light beamed from her face, making her appear several years younger. She wore no makeup, for indeed, she hadn't thought to put any on this morning, and her natural beauty radiated to her co-workers.

Sarah sat down at her desk and immediately began rummaging through papers, filing this document or putting that article in a cabinet. She didn't see Elaine come to a stop in the open doorway and then lean on the doorframe.

"Well," Elaine said, startling Sarah, "I haven't seen you this cheerful in a long time."

"He came back, just like you said he would," Sarah smiled, looking up from her papers.

"And from the look of it, you two had a rather marvelous time," Elaine grinned.

"I suppose so."

"You suppose so?"

"What would you like me to say?" Sarah laughed. "He swept me off my feet and carried me away into the night where everyone and everything else was forgotten?"

"That would be romantic," Elaine said thoughtfully.

"That would be ridiculous," Sarah chuckled. "We made amends, Elaine. How does that sound?"

"Not as romantic, but that's a good thing," Elaine smiled. "What are your plans for the day?"

"To get some work done in here. My office looks like a pigpen," Sarah said, sweeping her hand across the room. "I have books and paper everywhere. My coffee stand looks like an overflowing chocolate factory. My file cabinets are all out of order. I haven't been in here in awhile."

"I'm surprised Jareth didn't come with you."

"He had other matters to attend to."

"Such as wedding plans?"

"Really, Elaine," Sarah blushed. "We didn't speak a thing about marriage. Well, that's not entirely true… I put a stop to our evening because we _aren't_ married, but that's all. He's rather a wild spirit, Elaine. I don't know that marriage even came to his mind."

"I know another wild spirit that can match his any day," Elaine said kindly. "And if I know anything about that spirit at all, I'd say she already thought about marriage, and if she did, then he probably did as well."

"I must be the talk of the whole office now," Sarah said, shaking her head and throwing some garbage away. "I don't know what's going to come of Jareth and myself. Last night was…well, last night was magic. I'm beginning to think it was all a dream, or perhaps I had too much coffee and lost all of my sanity. The woman last night isn't the woman that sits here before you now, let's just leave it at that."

"If you say so," Elaine shrugged and then placed a folder on Sarah's desk. "These are the reports from the last court hearing for the Carters."

"Oh, you had to remind me," Sarah groaned. "I do wish the judge would see through those two-faced parents."

"We'll keep fighting," Elaine smiled and then moved towards the doorway. "Would you care to go to lunch with me today?"

"I'd like that," Sarah nodded and then pushed several papers and books aside to make room for the court reports.

Morning was spent answering the phone and cleaning the office, and by the time lunch break had rolled around, Sarah's office was almost entirely back to its original tidy state. Folders were filed neatly in file cabinets, case reports were put in their proper drawers, coffee cups were thrown out, and the garbage was overflowing with advertisements, plates, forks, cups, napkins, and ancient documents.

It seemed to Sarah that she was living in a whole new world. She could see flowers blossoming everywhere as she and Elaine left the office and got into Elaine's car.

Elaine brought her to a cute little restaurant located next to a stream. The women were seated on a porch overlooking the stream, and there was no one else on the porch. They sat gazing at the beauty around them as their waiter went into the restaurant to get their drinks. The women didn't speak, but admired the scenery that surrounded them. There were great flowery trees standing above them, their limbs stretching out above the restaurant and stream. Dainty pink and white flowers lined their boughs and reflected dazzlingly in the stream.

"I remember a place like this," Sarah said quietly, closing her eyes as the breeze caressed her face. "When I was younger, I used to dress up and run to a place very much like this. It was so quiet and calm, the perfect place for dreaming."

"My sister used to work here," Elaine smiled, gazing down at the rippling stream. "I used to pretend there were mermaids in the stream."

"With flowers and vines in their hair?" Sarah asked, opening her eyes and looking at the water.

"Yes," Elaine nodded. "You see how the limbs of the trees drape into the water further down the stream? I used to imagine that the mermaids sat beneath those trees, brushing their hair and singing."

Sarah smiled slightly, beginning to hear faint voices, almost like the sound of the breeze, floating on the wind. She looked beneath the overhanging trees and saw, blurry at first but rapidly becoming solid, two mermaids, one with dark hair, the other with golden hair.

"Sarah!" Elaine whispered suddenly, grabbing Sarah's arm and squinting as she looked at the stream. "Sarah, look! Do you see what I'm seeing?"

"Mermaids?" Sarah asked, somewhat startled as she realized that the mermaids really were there.

They were sitting on two boulders, brushing their long hair and putting flowers in the thick tresses.

"But it's impossible!" Elaine gasped. "There's no such thing! They can't possibly be there!"

"Excuse me, ladies, but here's your lemonade."

Sarah blinked and then turned to face the waiter, the mermaids immediately disappearing.

"Thank you," she stammered uncertainly and took her drink from the waiter. "I think we're ready to order now."

Elaine could speak of nothing but the mermaids as she and Sarah ate their lunch, and Sarah found that she wasn't entirely listening to her friend's excited chatter. She really _did_ have the power to make imaginary creatures come to life!

Jareth didn't return to Sarah's home that night, or the next day. He left a crystal on her pillow the next morning, however, and Sarah looked in it to see him walking amongst gorgeous creatures that she could only believe to be other Fae. The women were tall and lithe, stepping gracefully about Jareth and smiling at him flirtatiously. That made Sarah a bit jealous, but she watched with pride as Jareth ignored their affection and moved through them as gracefully as any honorable king should.

Evening came quickly for Sarah that following day, and she fell asleep to the haunting tune of her music box. Visions of herself dancing with Jareth flowed through her mind, and the vision infiltrated into her dreams.

She was dancing, her body moving smoothly and gracefully, almost as though she wasn't touching the floor. She was in an exquisite white dress, the sleeves draped gently off her shoulders, the silk rustling against her fair skin. Her long hair was down, draped elegantly against her back, tiny purple and white flowers sprinkled in her dark waves. Before her stood the Goblin King in all his splendor, once again in his dark suit, glitter sparkling majestically off his coat, face, and in his hair. He was dazzling, entrancing, and beautiful, and Sarah found, in her dream, that her mouth was once again open in childlike wonder, and unlike the first dance, when her eyes had been wide with confusion and amazement, her eyelids in her dream were heavy, like she was in a lovely, spell-binding dream.

The phone rang next to Sarah's head, startling her and making her eyes pop open. The dream immediately melted away, and she looked over at her clock to see that it was two o' clock in the morning. She grabbed blindly for the phone and then brought it to her ear, somewhat disappointed that her dream had disappeared.

"Hello?'

"Hello! Is this Miss Sarah Williams?" A frightened voice asked.

"This is she," Sarah yawned.

"Miss Williams, this is Dana Mitchell, the Carters' next door neighbor."

"Whatever is the matter?" Sarah asked, sitting up when she heard the urgency in Dana's voice.

"I was woken up only a few minutes ago by some loud noises coming from next door. I heard glass shattering and someone shouting, and I looked through my window to see the shadows of Mr. and Mrs. Carter fighting. I couldn't see Jessica Lee, but I'm so afraid for her!" Dana exclaimed.

"Did you call the police?" Sarah asked, jumping out of bed and grabbing a jacket.

"I did, but I know you're much closer to here than they are. It will take them awhile to get here, perhaps too long. Can you come? Is there anything you can do?"

"I can certainly try," Sarah said, throwing her jacket over her nightshirt and then pulling on a pair of boots over her pajama pants. "I'll be there as soon as I can."

"Oh, thank you! Please, please hurry!"

Sarah hung up the phone and then raced down the stairs to the front door. She grabbed her purse off the entrance room table and then flung the front door open. She charged out into the stormy night, slamming the door behind her, and then hurriedly opened her car door. She jumped into it and immediately turned the car on. She turned her headlights and windshield wipers on and then drove rapidly away from the house.

Her heart beat wildly within her as she drove to the Carters'. This night had been long in coming, and Sarah had known that it would only be a matter of time before Jessica Lee's life was seriously threatened. Sarah had also learned from experience that police couldn't do everything, and getting somewhere when they were absolutely needed was something that they seemed to have difficulty doing.

The Carters' home was only a few minutes away from Sarah's neighborhood, and as soon as the house came into view, Sarah turned the car off, forgetting to turn off her headlights, and rushed out into the rain. She ran full force to the Carters' house and then banged violently on the door.

"Mr. Carter!" she shouted above the thunder, clinging her jacket closer to her. "Mr. Carter, this is Sarah Williams, your social worker! Open the door!"

"Who is it?" An angry voice shouted from inside. "Go away!"

"Mr. Carter, it's Sarah Williams! Open up!" Sarah shouted, continuing to pound.

The door opened, and a thoroughly drunk Mrs. Carter stepped aside so Sarah could step in.

"What is going on?" Sarah asked, gazing in horror at all the shattered glass bottles on the floor.

"Care for a drink?" Mrs. Carter asked, offering a bottle to Sarah.

"No, I don't! Give me that!" Sarah said, taking the bottle and putting it on a table. "You've had far too much to drink! Where's Jessica Lee?"

Mrs. Carter's face turned green, and she didn't answer. Sarah turned away from her and rushed towards the kitchen. She jumped into the room and saw Jessica Lee cowering on the kitchen floor next to the dishwasher, holding a tattered doll to her chest. Mr. Carter was standing next to the refrigerator, guzzling down another bottle of alcohol, his face red with heat and rage.

Sarah immediately dropped down onto her knees next to Jessica Lee and wrapped her arms around the frightened child.

"Shh…" She crooned, watching as Mr. Carter turned away from the refrigerator. "Shh… I'm here now. It's all right. The police are coming to help you."

"Get away from her!" Mr. Carter roared, stumbling towards Sarah.

"I will not!" Sarah shouted, clinging Jessica Lee even closer to her. "You stay away from her, you hear me? You've had far too much to drink! You aren't in your right mind! I'm not leaving until I know this child is safe!"

"I said get away!" Mr. Carter shouted in rage and then brought his bottle crashing against Sarah's arm.

Sarah cried out but refused to move, determined that if she left Jessica Lee, the child would be killed. She braced herself as Mr. Carter threw glass bottles about angrily and slammed doors open and shut. She didn't budge as Mr. Carter tried to aim punches at his daughter and instead hit Sarah. She didn't flinch when glass bottles crashed against her, when her body became cut up and bruised.

Mr. Carter's mind was entirely drowned by alcohol. He didn't see Sarah, didn't hear her shouting at him. He hit her just as though she were a thief in his house, threatening to take away all his valuable possessions.

By the time the police arrived at the house, Sarah was lying on the floor, her arms still wrapped tightly around Jessica Lee. Blood was seeping from her body, staining through her nightshirt and jacket. She was shaking frightfully, her eyes closed in pain.

The police didn't waste a second. Mr. and Mrs. Carter were bound and put in the police cars. Jessica Lee had to be pried out of Sarah's arms, for Sarah was barely conscious and she refused to release her hold on the child, even though her arms were trembling fearfully. She couldn't hear the police speaking to her, for pain pounded in her ears, blocking out all other sounds. She didn't feel herself get lifted gently off the ground and placed on a stretcher. She was deaf to the sound of sirens wailing in the night, numb to the feeling of the ambulance racing through the dark streets with her inside.

Sarah didn't open her eyes until she got to the hospital. When she did open them, she became dizzy, for all she could see was a great white ceiling rushing quickly above her. The sounds of doctors and nurses shouting orders back and forth came to her ears, and she watched as a medic, dressed in blue scrubs, picked her up and placed her on an examination table.

"What happened?" Sarah rasped, her throat dry.

No one answered her, and in a panic, Sarah reached out and grabbed a nurse's hand.

"What happened to Jessica Lee?" she screamed. "Where's the child?"

"She's safe now, precious," the nurse said calmly. "Put your hand back down, sweetheart. You are in critical condition. Don't move now, Miss Williams."

"It's Sarah," Sarah whispered, watching as her hand, bleeding ferociously, slipped away from the nurse's.

"I know, dear. Just close your eyes now, Sarah. That's right. Close your eyes and let sleep take you."

"Jareth," Sarah sobbed as she closed her eyes, terrified of what should happen if she fell sleep. "Jareth…"


	14. I'll be There for You

**Thank you sooo much for all the amazing reviews! All of you are terrific! I am so excited! The last chapter I wrote got more reviews than any other chapter I've put on this website, and that just enthralls me! Please continue to enjoy and review! Thank you so much!**

**Chapter Fourteen: I'll Be There for You**

"Critical condition, you say?" An English voice, familiar and yet so distant, seeped into Sarah's subconscious.

"Yes sir. She was terribly abused and is bleeding internally. We can't figure out how to make it stop," a female voice, sounding as though it was coming from the end of a very long tunnel, answered.

"We've tried everything," another male's voice spoke.

Jareth sat back and looked at Sarah, stretched out on a hospital bed, her body covered by a hospital gown and a large blanket. Immense cuts lined her exposed skin, and blood was visible all over her fair flesh.

"There's only one thing that will save her," Jareth said softly, running his fingers across Sarah's cheek. He looked up at the doctor and spoke firmly, "She needs some of my blood."

"Sir, we've given her all the blood we can. She just won't stop bleeding. More blood won't help," the doctor said sadly.

"I have what she needs. Do you want to save this woman's life?" Jareth asked calmly.

"Yes! Yes we do!" Elaine panicked from the other side of Sarah's bed.

"Then take some of my blood."

"Are you O positive or O negative?" The nurse asked, grabbing an IV bag and preparing to insert a needle in Jareth's arm.

"Neither," Jareth said, and the nurse immediately stopped moving.

"What do you mean?" Elaine asked, biting her fingers nervously. "What do you have?"

"No one else in this world has my blood, but it's my blood she needs. If she's already dying," Jareth said coolly, looking at the doctor, "than how could my blood possibly hurt her?"

"Her parents are on the way," Elaine said uncertainly. "Perhaps we should wait until they get here? I called them as soon as I got here."

"She doesn't have enough time," the doctor said, gazing unflinchingly at Jareth. "Katie, do as the man says."

The nurse bit her lip nervously and then cleaned the underside of Jareth's arm with an alcohol swab. She then placed the needle in his skin and stepped away.

Jareth didn't even flinch. He sat calmly, one leg folded across the other, and gazed at Sarah as his blood left his body. As soon as she had murmured his name, right before she had gone unconscious, he had been at the hospital. He had almost arrived in his normal outfit, but one quick thought reminded him that he was no longer in his world, and he had quickly changed his Goblin King garb for a button down shirt, leather jacket, and black pants and shoes. His long hair had once again become short, and he had walked into the hospital with determination. He was also afraid, for he had never seen his Sarah in such a dilapidated state. He didn't know what a coma was, but the doctor had said that Sarah was in one, and the sound of it did not please him. Her physical appearance alone frightened him, and if he had known where Mr. Carter was when he first stepped into Sarah's hospital room, he would have found the man and killed him.

"That's good," the nurse said moments later, and took the needle out of Jareth's arm. She immediately wiped away the blood that dripped out from the insertion, and she was about to put a bandage on it when Jareth waved her hand away.

"I don't need that."

"Suit yourself," the nurse said and then turned to the doctor. "Shall I insert the IV, Doctor?"

"Yes," the doctor nodded, somewhat amazed at how deep red Jareth's blood was.

Jareth didn't look as the IV was inserted into Sarah's skin. He didn't look at the tubes as his blood flowed into Sarah. Instead he studied his beloved's face, his own face hard and tight. If only he had come back to her sooner! He could have gone with her to the Carters', rescued Jessica Lee and saved Sarah from all of this torment!

Elaine stayed for an hour, biting her nails furiously and watching her friend sleep. She was terrified that Sarah would never wake up; terrified that she would be left to take care of the Carters' upcoming hearing by herself.

The doctor examined Sarah every fifteen minutes, shaking his head constantly when he saw that her internal bleeding hadn't stopped. He spoke to Jareth as gently as he could, but the regal Goblin King ignored him entirely. Jareth gave special attention to Elaine, however, telling her that Sarah wouldn't die, because he wouldn't let her. He made Elaine sit down and take several deep breaths.

Ten minutes before Elaine left, the doctor again examined Sarah, and a look of complete amazement appeared on his face.

"What is it?" Elaine gasped, horrified. "What did you find?"

"She's stopped bleeding!" the doctor exclaimed. "It was impossible, but she did! What kind of blood do you have?" he asked, looking at Jareth.

"Noble blood passed down from hundreds of generations," Jareth said simply and then stood up from his chair. He moved over to Sarah and put his cool hand gently on her forehead. "Blood," he said, looking warningly at the doctor, "that will only be of any affect for Miss Williams. It will not work for anyone else."

"Sir," the doctor breathed. "You astound me."

"I seem to have that affect on everyone," Jareth smirked and then turned to Elaine. "Miss Elaine, I suggest you go home and get some sleep. Sarah is in safe hands."

"Are you sure? Is she going to make it? Will she be all right?"

"I promise you, she'll be fine," Jareth nodded and then put his hand on the trembling woman's shoulder. "Go get some sleep, Elaine. It's been a long night."

Elaine nodded and then slowly left the room, shaking her head in confusion as she did so.

Robert, Karen and Toby arrived just as the sun was rising. They hurried into Sarah's room, all of them greatly concerned for her welfare. They didn't see Jareth as they rushed to Sarah's bedside, for he had moved to a chair in the corner of the room, giving the doctor and nurses room to work.

"Oh, my poor Sarah!" Karen wailed, moving a loose strand of hair out of Sarah's face. "Why would someone do this?"

"The doctor said she saved a girl from being beaten to death," Toby said, a deep frown on his face. "Man, how I'd love to get my hands on whoever did this!"

"Doctor, Elaine told us that Sarah was bleeding internally. Is she…is she going to make it?" Robert asked, great concern on his face.

"I think she might come out of her coma today," the doctor smiled. "A man gave her some of his blood and, remarkably, the bleeding stopped."

"Where is this man? We must see him!" Karen exclaimed.

"He's standing in the corner behind you," the doctor smiled at Jareth.

Robert, Karen and Toby turned around to see Jareth standing there, leaning casually against the wall. He wasn't quite what any of the Williams expected their dear Sarah's rescuer to be like. Their first thoughts had been that some young man, well dressed and friendly looking, had saved Sarah. The man standing before them didn't quite fit that description. Instead of a handsome young man, there was an older man, possibly in his mid thirties, dressed in leather and black. He had a long, serious face, a mouth that looked like it had a tendency to smirk, and mysterious, multi-colored eyes.

"We…we owe you our gratitude," Robert stammered, holding his hand out to Jareth. "If you hadn't come, my daughter wouldn't have made it."

"It was my pleasure," Jareth said, reaching out and shaking Robert's hand, though the Fae council never would have approved. "Sarah is very dear to me."

"She never told me about you. Who are you?" Karen asked.

"Jareth," Jareth said simply.

"Jareth," Toby frowned, a confused look in his eyes. "Jareth. I've heard that name before, and I know I've seen your eyes before."

"How did you meet Sarah?" Robert asked, turning his head to gaze fondly at his daughter.

"Yes. You don't quite look like the type of man Sarah would…would…associate with," Karen said carefully, placing a large bouquet of flowers on the table next to Sarah.

"I have known Sarah for a very long time. She looks to me for creative ideas," Jareth said, watching his words.

"Do you assist her with her social work?" Toby asked, folding his arms across his chest and trying to figure out where exactly he had heard the man's voice before.

"In a sense, yes. I will leave you with Sarah now," Jareth said, moving towards the door. "I am certain I shall see you again soon."

He left the room, leaving a bewildered Williams family behind him.

Sarah began to stir at four o' clock that afternoon, and she began to open her eyes when she heard a very familiar voice gently speaking her name.

"Sarah, Sarah darling."

"Dad?" Sarah murmured, squinting against the light as she opened her eyes.

"Yes," Robert said, tears pouring down his cheeks as he took his daughter's hand in his. "We're here, Sarah."

"What happened? I thought you were in Florida?" Sarah asked, opening her eyes all the way and glancing from her father to Karen to Toby.

"You were in an accident," Karen said, leaning over and kissing Sarah on the forehead.

Sarah winced and then looked over at Toby.

"Hey Toby," she tried to smile, but her face hurt as soon as she tried. "Would you please tell me what happened? Why am I in a hospital? Was I in a car wreck?"

"You saved Jessica Lee from being killed by her father, and in the process, you were nearly killed," Karen said, sniffing and wiping her eyes with a tissue.

"You nearly died, Sarah," Toby said quietly.

"I must look like Frankenstein's Bride now," Sarah chuckled slightly. "Don't cry. Somehow I lived."

"Yes," Robert said with a slight frown. "A man named Jareth saved you."

"Jareth?" Sarah whispered, trying to sit up. "Where is he? Is he still here?"

"He left. Sarah, who is he? How do you know him? He didn't look like anyone you've ever been with. He looked like an 80's rock star," Karen said.

"He's not an 80's rock star," Sarah said weakly, lying back down. "He's a good man, and I love him. How did he save me?"

"He gave you some of his blood. The doctor said he's never seen anything like it," Toby answered.

"I'll bet he hasn't. How long have you been here? You look exhausted," Sarah said.

"We've been here for almost ten hours, and we don't plan on leaving," Karen said.

"Oh, but you need to get home and get some rest! I will not have you staying here all night because of me! I'll be fine," Sarah exclaimed. "Please don't go out of you way because of me! I had a nice roast going at home. It's probably over-cooked now. Please go home and relax a bit. I must have scared you so badly!"

"Sarah, we don't want to leave you," Toby said.

"I know, but I'd feel better if you went home and rested a bit," Sarah smiled slightly.

"We'll leave in about an hour, Sarah. We want to spend a little more time with you and make sure you are safe for the night first. Here comes the doctor," Robert said, watching as the doctor stepped into the room.

Robert, Karen, and Toby left an hour later, leaving Sarah alone in her room. She had requested that she be given a bit of time to herself, and the doctors and nurses had heeded to her wishes. They had given her dinner for the night and had then left the room.

Sarah found that she didn't want to think about her accident and didn't want to see what she looked like, and she quickly became bored. She was never terribly interested in television, and what she really wanted was company. She had learned that Jareth could not be summoned like a servant, and so, forcing together all her imagination, she decided to make one of her daydreams come true.

Memories began to flow through Sarah's mind, fond thoughts of a small dwarf dressed in overalls and carrying about several precious gems on his clothes. Next to him was a little fox-like creature, a patch covering one eye, a staff held high above his head. He was mounted atop a sheep dog, the creature's hair covering his eyes and his long tongue hanging out. Towering above them all, his large mouth in a wide grin, was a furry orange beast with large ears and wide, shining eyes.

"Hoggle," Sarah whispered, closing her eyes tightly and imagining that she was standing in the midst of her dear friends. "Hoggle, Ludo, Sir Didymus, Ambroscious, I need you."

"Well why didn't you say so?" A voice quipped, and Sarah opened her eyes and squealed with delight when she saw Sir Didymus sitting on her bed.

"Sarah! What happened to you?" Hoggle asked from her side, and Sarah gasped with joy.

"You're here! All of you! You came!" she exclaimed, throwing her arms around Hoggle and kissing him on the cheek. "You came for me!"

"Of course we did," Sir Didymus said. "We told you we would."

"Sarah friend," Ludo mumbled from next to Hoggle.

"Oh, I'm so happy to see you!" Sarah laughed as Ambroscious jumped onto the bed and licked her chin. "It's been so long!"

"You didn't…you didn't forget us, did you?" Hoggle asked slowly.

"No. Never," Sarah said, shaking her head. "I could never forget any of you. Tell me, how have you been? What have you been doing for the past several years?"

"We miss Sarah," Ludo said, putting his hand affectionately on Sarah's head.

"Oh, and I missed you, all of you, so much!" Sarah smiled, reaching over and wrapping her arms around Ludo's waist. "Please don't leave. Stay here. I want to talk to all of you and see how all of you have been doing! Tell me, how are the fairies? And the goblins, are they doing well? Tell me everything that has happened!"

Three hours passed, and Jareth appeared in Sarah's room, dressed in his normal clothes, his hair wild and wind-tossed. He was surprised to find that Sarah already had visitors occupying her. On the bed near her legs sat Sir Didymus, telling her a lively tale of the Bog of Stench. On one side of Sarah's body was Ambroscious, trying to lick Sarah's face but not succeeding, for every time he tried, Ludo gently put his fluffy red hand down in front of the dog. Hoggle stood next to Sarah, holding one of her hands and smiling up at her. The little fellow even had the gall to kiss Sarah's hand!

"Well," Jareth said, and all the creatures and Sarah looked up at him. "It appears you are quite occupied, Sarah."

"Oh, Jareth, I had hoped you would come!" Sarah cried out, and the joy in her voice erased all spite from the Goblin King.

"King make Sarah better," Ludo smiled at Jareth, and Jareth folded his arms across his chest to prevent himself from smiling back.

"That I did. Higgle…"

"Hoggle," Hoggle sighed, rolling his eyes.

"Did I not tell you to rid the walls of that pesky fungus that was growing on them?" Jareth asked.

"You did, but…"

"But I imagined them here," Sarah said gently. "Surely you aren't upset?"

"Upset?" Jareth snorted. "Why would I be upset? Really, Sir Didymus," the Goblin King spoke, putting a gloved hand on Ambroscious' head, "I thought you would have known better than to let your royal steed on the bed with the wounded maiden?"

"I do apologize!" Sir Didymus chirped. "Ambroscious, get off the bed immediately!"

"Thank you all so much for coming. I knew you would come when I needed you," Sarah smiled to her friends. "I want to see the Goblin King alone now, though, so I'll have to see you again tomorrow."

"You want to see Jareth alone?" Hoggle gasped. "Since when?"

"That's just how it's done," Sarah smiled, giving him a light hug and then releasing him. "I will see you all tomorrow."

The creatures from the Underground disappeared, leaving Sarah alone with Jareth.

"Jareth," she breathed, smiling up at him as he neared her bed. "Thank you for saving me."

"My darling one," Jareth said, raising her hand to his lips and kissing her torn skin gently. "I would do anything for you."

"I must look an awful sight," Sarah sighed, looking away from him. "My body hurts terribly. I'm sure I look frightening."

"That will soon be mended," Jareth said, moving his hand to the pocket of his jacket and pulling out a wrapped gift. "Here," he said, handing the gift out to her. "It's a present."

"For me?" Sarah smiled. "Last time you gave me a present, it was a peach and it made me have the most enticing dream."

"This isn't a peach," Jareth smiled, admiring her spirit. "Open it."

Sarah opened the present and found a very familiar red leather bound book in her hands.

"The Labyrinth," she said with a small sigh. "How long it's been since I've read it."

"Let me read it to you," Jareth said, gently taking it out of her hands. "You've read it many times, but never have I read it to you."

"You remembered to dress in normal clothes," Sarah noted as he opened the book.

"So I did," Jareth said, looking over the page. "You object?"

"I just thought since…since you'd be reading to me…that you might dress in costume. That would be silly though, wouldn't it? If the doctor and nurses come in, which they're bound to do any minute now, they'll think there is something wrong with you," Sarah said.

"What do you wish, Sarah?"

"I like it when you wear your poet shirt," Sarah smiled gently. "And your medallion fascinates me."

"Very well."

Jareth waved his hand and instantly, his leather jacket and button down shirt turned into his open poet shirt. His medallion shone magnificently on his chest, and Sarah sighed contentedly and then lay back on her bed.

"Please read, Goblin King."

Jareth began to read the story, his voice full of emotion. He imitated the voices of the characters, whining perfectly to copy Sarah, and his voice sounding perfectly like his goblins' when they entered the scene. He got Sarah laughing with his imitations, but her laughter stopped as soon as he spoke of lightning flashing outside the bedroom window and the goblins frightening the heroine of the story. Sarah leaned forward as he spoke of the balcony doors being flung open and a great owl flying into the room. Sarah's hands moved to her chest as he told of the magnificent entrance of the Goblin King, glitter swirling about him, his cape and hair flapping wildly in the wind.

"My favorite part," Sarah whispered, closing her eyes.

"Sarah, what did you think of me when you first saw me?" Jareth asked, putting the book down for a moment.

A small smile tugged at the wounded woman's mouth and she spoke softly, opening her dark eyes so that they were looking into his, "You really want to know?"

"Please."

"I thought," Sarah said slowly, her eyes boring into his, "that you were the most magnificent, beautiful creature I had ever seen. My heart stopped beating when you entered the room, and I nearly gasped with anticipation when you stepped towards me."

"I thought the same of you," Jareth spoke, reaching his hand out and putting it on Sarah's. "Though I certainly didn't show it."

"Please continue reading, Jareth," Sarah said, closing her eyes again "I'm listening. I'm just closing my eyes so I can imagine everything better."

Jareth continued to read, and as he did so, Sarah felt a strange sensation flowing through her body. She knew, as he told of the Cleaners, the wise man and his hat, the Fireys, and the gift from Hoggle, that her body was healing. His story, with the loving way he told it, was healing her.

When Jareth came to the part about the ball, he slowed down his speaking and lingered on every sentence, especially the ones speaking of how beautiful Sarah had been, and how innocent in such an eerie situation. He had to stop and catch his breath when he told of how he stepped away from his admirers and took her in his arms.

Jareth looked up from the book to see Sarah's chest rising and falling rapidly, a smile playing about her scarlet lips. Her face was entirely healed of its cuts, and her long hair lay like a blanket about her head. There seemed to be a special shine about her, and Jareth found himself standing up and moving to her.

Sarah opened her eyes when Jareth didn't continue his story, and she found herself looking up into his eyes. He had that expression on his face, the same expression he had had during the ball. His eyes told of unspeakable longing and desire and his lips seemed to beg her for her touch.

"How I hurt you," Sarah whispered, reaching up a hand as he brought his face closer to hers. "How cruelly I treated you. I was just a child, Jareth. How could I possibly understand what you wanted?"

"I don't blame you," Jareth whispered, bringing his nose against hers as he leaned over her, one arm on either side of her. "There will be a day when you will relive that dance, Sarah, and then you will have to choose what path you wish to take."

"When it comes time to make that choice," Sarah whispered as Jareth nuzzled her cheek with his lips, "I'll choose the path between the stars."

Jareth didn't speak, but moved his mouth to her ear and gently kissed the sensitive skin beneath her earlobe, letting his lips linger on her soft skin. Sarah wrapped her arms tightly around his neck; a lone tear streaming down her cheek as she remembered how cruel she had been to him, as she contemplated how great his love was for her.

"Jareth," she said quietly, running her hand slowly through his hair. "Please continue with the story. You had just gotten to the best part, the part where the girl saw the Goblin King and watched as he stepped towards her. Oh, how her heart leaped within her! He was breathtaking, the Goblin King, and the girl could hardly believe he was actually approaching her, was actually offering her his hand in dance."

"Do you want to hear what was written, or what the Goblin King thought?" Jareth asked, his voice low.

"What did he think?" Sarah answered.

"There was an angel in the room," Jareth spoke, wrapping his arms around her and holding her to him. "She couldn't understand the morbid scene into which she had entered. Her innocent young mind didn't comprehend the deception of the situation. As the Goblin King stalked towards her, for indeed, he stalked, his eyes dark with desire, he felt very much like a devil. The angel in white didn't understand the expression on his face, the deceit in his eyes. He came to her with no good intentions, and as he sang to her, danced with her, she couldn't see the true meaning behind his actions. For while she danced, the minutes ticked away. The Goblin King had one intention, and one alone."

"What was it?" Sarah breathed, snuggling her face into his chest.

"To make the girl fall in love with him," Jareth whispered into her hair. "He wanted to force her to stay with him, to trick her into giving away her one gift of innocence that would make her forever a captive of the Underground and its king. He misjudged her sense of what was right, miscalculated the desire she had to amend her past wrongs."

"What was my gift?" Sarah asked, moving just enough so she could look up into his face.

"You almost gave it away. I almost had it," Jareth said, gazing down at her. "In the Labyrinth, when one gives away a kiss, it binds them to the one they gave it to. I was close, so close," he said, his breathing becoming faster. "We had stopped, and just as I lowered my face to yours, you turned your head and saw everyone watching. You looked about and saw the clock, my one flaw. You pulled away from me and ran, just as you should have."

"My poor Jareth," Sarah murmured, and Jareth looked down to see that her head was once again resting against his chest, her eyes closed. "My poor, precious Goblin King," she whispered as she gently stroked his shirt with one hand. "How I wanted to give you my kiss! How I wanted to lose myself in you forever, but I just couldn't. I…couldn't…"

"You must sleep," Jareth said, delicately helping her lie down. "You are exhausted."

"Wait," she whispered wearily, her eyes fluttering open.

"Yes, my love?"

"Jareth," she said quietly, moving her fingers to his mouth and brushing them gently against his lips. "I want you to know," she said softly, "that this kiss, the kiss you wanted so desperately but I wouldn't give, my greatest gift…belongs only to you."

She moved her fingers slowly to his cheek and then leaned upward and touched his lips gently with her own. She kept her eyes closed as her mouth moved slowly, deeply, against his. She didn't see him shifting his body so that his upper body was leaning against hers, pushing her gently back so that her back was touching the softness of the bed again.

"You must sleep," Jareth whispered, moving his mouth away from hers and brushing a few strands of her hair out of her face. "Sleep, my darling. There will be other times when you can show me your love, but now is the time for you to heal and rest. I love you, my precious queen."

Sarah turned her face to the side as soon as her head touched the pillow, her dark eyes closed in sleep, her long hair draped over her shoulders and cheek.

Jareth reached out and gently ran his fingers along Sarah's fair forehead. He lowered himself and kissed her lips slowly, memorizing her taste, longingly telling himself that her kiss was indeed his and as such, she was his too. He then stood up and stepped away.


	15. Jury Duty

**Thank you, thank you, thank you for all the reviews! I am so encouraged! You all are terrific! Here's the next chapter! Enjoy, and please review!**

"**Don't tell me it's not worth tryin for. **

**You can't tell me it's not worth dyin' for. **

**You know it's true**

**Everything I do – I do it for you." – Bryan Adams (Everything I Do) I do it for You**

**Chapter Fifteen: Jury Duty**

Three days later Sarah was permitted to leave the hospital. The doctors and nurses could not understand how she had come to them bloodied and dying and had left without a scratch and in almost perfect health. She was weak, and Toby supported her into the car and then into the house, but she was in good spirits.

Sarah was able to spend two peaceful days at home with her family before she was called to attend the Carters' trial. Jareth didn't appear at all in those two days, but Sarah wasn't concerned.

The morning of the trial came, and Sarah woke up early and dressed herself in a black business suit. She left her hair down and then went into the dining room and joined Toby at the table.

"Morning, Sar," he said and then passed her a plate of waffles. "You look nice."

"Thanks."

"How are you feeling?"

"Tired," Sarah sighed. "Tired and irritated. I just know this trial isn't going to go well today. Judge McKinley is in charge of it again, and he has a peculiar liking for the Carters."

"Where's Jareth been?"

"Jareth?" Sarah asked, looking up into her brother's eyes.

"Yeah, the man who saved your life."

"I don't know," Sarah shrugged.

"Isn't he a bit old for you?" Toby asked.

"He's just right, Toby," Sarah grinned.

"Right," Toby nodded without conviction. "I've seen him before. Where?"

"Toby, I don't know that…"

"Good morning, Sarah!" Robert exclaimed, entering the room. "How's my lovely social worker this morning?"

"Grumpy," Sarah sighed. "Are you ready to leave, Dad?"

"Yes. Karen and Toby are coming with us."

"Is that necessary? This trial could get pretty brutal," Sarah said, standing up.

"We want to be there to support you," Robert smiled.

"Thanks Dad," Sarah said uncertainly, giving him a hug.

Sarah didn't feel like she had a drop of support as she walked through the courtroom an hour later and took her seat in one of the witness chairs. She watched with no small discomfort as Mr. and Mrs. Carter, once again perfectly sober, were brought to their proper places. Sarah felt anger swelling up inside of her when she saw Jessica Lee brought into the room, sucking happily on a lollipop, not a care or understanding in the world about what was happening. She couldn't possibly understand that her fate was about to be decided.

Everyone stood up when Judge McKinley was announced, and then they all sat down after he did. He took out a thick folder, opened it up, and the trial began.

Sarah was asked to testify, and she did so to the best of her ability. She glanced only once at her family before she looked firmly at the judge and told him everything had happened, starting with the first call she had received about Jessica Lee being abused. The call had come nearly a year ago, and Sarah had been battling to get Jessica Lee away from her parents ever since.

The judge listened carefully, but somehow, he didn't seem convinced. Judge McKinley was not a bad man, nor a bad judge, but he had had numerous cases over the past several years of children being abused, only to find out later that they hadn't been, and he wasn't willing to pull Jessica Lee away from her parents just so that he could be humiliated again.

Sarah was extremely discouraged as the case continued. Mr. and Mrs. Carter were each given a chance to speak, and they spoke graciously and fluently, sounding as though they had never had a single drop of alcohol in their lives. Sarah shifted in her seat, as everything they said sounded perfect. The two had been minding their own business in the wee hours of the morning when Miss Sarah Williams, the hotheaded brunette, had butted her nose into their business, had broken into their house, and had ruined their evening. Mr. Carter, having been extremely tired and just getting a midnight snack, had thought Sarah to be a robber and had attacked her as such. Never, _never_ would he harm his child.

Sarah bit her lip as the Carters spoke, and she found, to her amazement, that when they finished, not one of the other witnesses tried to speak against them. The next-door neighbor, Dana, didn't know what to think, and the police really hadn't seen everything happen.

"Miss Williams," Judge McKinley said once the Carters were finished. "I am terribly sorry, but again, we have no real evidence…"

"That's not fair!" Sarah exclaimed, slamming her fist down on her table and standing up. "I was mutilated! The child's life was threatened! You can't just let them walk out of this one!"

"Miss Williams, you hardly appear to have been mutilated," Judge McKinley said softly. "You look to be in perfect shape to me."

"I was in the hospital for over three days! You can look at the medical records if you wish! No robber would have been treated the way I was! They were going to kill Jessica Lee! You let her go back now, and they will!"

"You said that last time," Judge McKinley said sadly, shaking his head.

"Why won't anyone believe me?" Sarah shouted, looking over the courtroom. "Why am I the only one doing the right thing?"

"Miss Williams, please calm down and have a seat," the judge said, gesturing to Sarah's chair. "We will continue to monitor the Carters and make certain that they aren't harming their child, as we did before. We appreciate you coming here, but…"

"It's not fair!" Sarah exclaimed again, sitting down hard in her chair. "I've fought too long over this!"

"Miss Williams…"

"No! You have to believe me this time!" Sarah persisted. "I nearly lost my life! Do you really think if Jessica Lee goes back to her parents she won't lose hers?"

"We've searched, Miss Williams, and we've come to every one of these hearings, but…"

A blast of thunder suddenly shook the courthouse, drowning out the judge, and the large doors at the end of the room burst open. Everyone turned to see what the source of interruption was.

There, standing in the doorway, his long black leather coat blowing in the breeze and his short blonde hair whipping about in his face, was Jareth. To Sarah, he had never looked more amazing. He took long, firm strides into the room, his boots sounding loudly in the sudden silence. His eyes were glowing menacingly, and there was glitter about his cheeks and hair. He seemed to be part Fae part human at the moment, for his shimmer sparkled about him, his eyebrows were sharp and pointed again, and his eyes glowed, but he wore a black button-down shirt, black pants, black boots and a black leather jacket. His medallion, Sarah saw as he stalked, was glowing against his chest.

Everyone watched in stunned fascination as Jareth stalked towards the front of the room and then came to a stop in front of Judge McKinley.

"I have come," Jareth said loudly, his eyes shining menacingly, "On behalf of the child."

"Behalf of the child?" Judge McKinley asked when he found the courage to breathe.

"Yes. Jessica Lee sent for me."

"Who are you?"

"I," Jareth said dramatically, never once flinching, "am the advocate for all unwanted children."

The courtroom was immediately filled with whispers, and all eyes stared at Jareth. He didn't move from his spot, didn't so much as twitch with discomfort.

Sarah felt her heart nearly stop as she gazed at the dazzling man that stood before her. He was beautiful, and she wished desperately that she could just reach out and touch him. She wished he could forget all protocol and simply step over to her, sweep her off her feet, and indulge her in all manners of romance and passion.

"No you aren't," Judge McKinley whispered so that only he, Jareth and Sarah could hear him. "You're the Goblin King."

"I thought you knew me," Jareth said with a sweeping bow.

"What brought you here?"

"This child," Jareth said simply, walking over to Jessica Lee and picking her up.

To the astounded audience's amazement, Jessica Lee threw her arms around Jareth's neck and put her cheek against his. She giggled as he smiled at her and then looked back at the judge.

"Do you know," Jareth spoke loudly enough for everyone to hear him, "that this child has only been refraining from calling me for one reason?"

"I didn't know," Judge McKinley said, wide-eyed. "What is that reason?"

"She likes you," Jareth shrugged and then stepped forward again. "She wanted to give you the chance to save her because she believes in you and trusts you."

"But the child can hardly speak!" the bewildered judge exclaimed.

"What one imagines in a dream can sometimes overpower the words that come from one's mouth," Jareth smiled, his pointed teeth gleaming in the light. "You have a choice, Andrew. Take the child away from her parents, keep her safe and don't let her go back, or forfeit the child to me. She wants very much for you to take her and care for her. She prefers you to me, which is quite odd. She's a very special child and deserves your protection."

"You can't just come in here and take her!" Mr. Carter shouted.

"Oh yes, I can," Jareth said, a warning note in his voice. "I suggest you take your seat, man, or I shall have to make you."

"He's more intoxicated than I have ever been!" Mr. Carter screamed.

Jareth ignored him and focused all his attention on Judge McKinley. A soft look had come across the judge's face, and he was looking at Jessica Lee with a fond expression in his eyes.

"She really wants _me_ to save her? She wants _me_ to take care of her?"

"No one else but you," Jareth nodded, his English accent floating like a breeze across the court.

"Then I shall," the judge said firmly, standing up. "All of you are witnesses! From this day henceforth, Jessica Lee shall not return to her parents! Mr. and Mrs. Carter are to be placed in prison for the time being, and their penalty for child abuse and abuse of an innocent person shall be determined later! Case dismissed!"

Jareth put Jessica Lee in Judge McKinley's arms and then made his way towards the doors.

Sarah saw the Goblin King leaving, and she quickly jumped down from her place and rushed through the crowd to get to him. She ducked and jumped to get out of the mass, not hearing her father call her name in her mad rush.

"Jareth!" Sarah shouted, bursting out of the courthouse and into the pounding rain. "Jareth, wait!"

He was standing a short distance away, but he turned to regard her.

"Yes, my darling?"

"Oh Jareth!" Sarah gasped breathlessly, rushing down the stairs of the courthouse. "Oh Jareth, you did it! Praise God! Oh, thank you!"

She jumped up, flung her arms around him, and pressed her lips firmly against his. He didn't seem at all startled, but wrapped his arms around her, his jacket keeping her body dry from the rain, and tasted of her sweet mouth over and over again.

The water drenched Sarah's hair, but she didn't care as she combed her fingers desperately through Jareth's blonde strands. She clung him to her, overjoyed that Jessica Lee was in safe hands, and all her love for Jareth poured out just as the rain poured from the clouds. She wasn't given a single chance to speak as Jareth's lips moved forcefully against hers, nor did she want to speak. She was exhilarated and wanted him to carry her away with him, to never let this triumphant moment end.

"Sarah," Jareth managed to speak, kissing her as he did so. "This is your romance scene in the rain."

"I don't care how ridiculous it looks!" Sarah gasped breathlessly, moving her hands to his cheeks. "You've saved her, saved her from an awful fate! Oh, I love you!"

"I would take you away now, but I'm afraid I cannot," Jareth murmured as her lips brushed across his. "Sarah, there's something you must know."

"What? What is it?" she asked, moving her mouth away from his and gazing into his eyes.

"I must leave," Jareth said, running his fingers across her cheek, water dripping from his hair.

"What do you mean? Why?"

"I must return to the Labyrinth. I cannot stay away forever."

"Take me with you!" Sarah pleaded, resting her head on his shoulder and whispering in his ear. "I'd go to the end of the world with you, Jareth."

"I would, but I'm afraid I cannot," Jareth said, interlacing his fingers through hers.

"I don't understand," Sarah said, drawing back and studying his face carefully.

"I made a promise to you, Sarah, and I never break my promises," Jareth said gently. "I told you when I came that I would leave again as soon as you could dream again independently, without my help. Over the past few days, you've dreamed up creatures from the Labyrinth, and they have appeared before you. You have imagined something into existence that belongs in my world. You have no further need for my assistance, and I am bound by the Underground to never back down from a promise that I have made. I must return, and you cannot come with me."

"But what about the past couple of weeks? What about our love? Jareth, you tried so hard to find me, and now you've found me only to leave again," Sarah whispered, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Why can I not come?"

"Listen, dearest one," Jareth said, putting one hand on her waist and one on the back of her head. "The Labyrinth can only be reached by the deepest desires of the heart. You cannot summon it to you. If you wish to see me again, if you truly want to find me, then you will have to find your way back into the Labyrinth and find your way back to me."

"How?" Sarah asked, tilting her head back to look up at him.

"That," Jareth said quietly, "is something you will have to discover on your own. The people of the Underground know of my love and desire for you. They understand that I want you to be my queen, but they don't know that you are ready for that role. The last time most of them saw you; you were a fifteen-year-old with an obnoxious temper. This is a test for you. Find your way back to the Labyrinth, search me out and find me, and the people will see that you are sincere in your desires and truly have the heart and courage to be their queen."

"And what if I should never find my way back to you?" Sarah asked.

"Then that is where the dream ends."

"Oh Jareth, you can't leave me!" Sarah cried, wrapping her arms around him. "I'm afraid I'll never be able to find my way back to the Labyrinth! Must you leave now?"

"I shall return one more time to you," Jareth said, looking over her shoulder to see Robert, Karen and Toby moving towards them. "One last time shall I see you, but then I must return to the Labyrinth. I haven't a choice."

"Sarah!" Robert called. "You rushed out so quickly! We didn't have time to congratulate you!"

Sarah turned slowly away from Jareth, aware that he was still standing behind her as her family approached.

"Thank you," Sarah sniffed, wiping away a tear. "I didn't do much. Jareth did all of it."

"You did splendidly!" Karen exclaimed. "How did you know so much about the child?"

"Let us simply say that some children have an attraction towards me," Jareth smiled and then stepped away from Sarah. "I must be going."

"But we want to get to know you! Sarah seems to have quite the fondness for you," Robert said, putting a hand on Sarah's shoulder.

"With the way you were just kissing, I'll say she does," Toby squirmed.

"I shall spend more time later meeting you all, but I have some responsibilities that cannot wait. I bid you farewell," Jareth said with a bow and then turned and walked away.

"He's a most peculiar man. Wherever did you find him?" Karen asked, turning her eyes back to Sarah.

"Once upon a dream," Sarah murmured and then stepped into place with her family.


	16. That's Underground

**Wow! Just wow! I am sooo encouraged by all the great reviews you are giving me! I am so glad you are enjoying this story! I hope you continue to do so! I am absolutely thrilled with everything you all have to say, so please keep letting me know what you think! Thank you so much! **

**Chapter Sixteen: That's Underground**

Night came, and Sarah went to her room for the evening, emotionally strained and confused. How was she going to be able to find her way back to the Labyrinth? She had never found her way there in the first place! Jareth had taken her! Should she wish Toby away again? Well, that wouldn't work because Jareth said she'd have to find her way on her own. It was all so confusing!

Robert, Karen and Toby sat in the living room, relaxing. Robert was reading a book, Karen was fixing a button on one of Toby's shirts, and Toby was stretched across a couch, his eyes gazing up at the ceiling. The boy had some strange feelings about Sarah's interesting friend. He just _knew_ he had seen Jareth before, but where? The man had such mysterious eyes, eyes that no one else had, but Toby could remember seeing them. He could also remember the man's smooth voice.

"Darling," Karen spoke to Robert, "don't you find it odd how Jareth just seems to come and go? He made such a grand entrance in the courtroom."

"I find it more odd," Robert said, looking up from his book, "that Sarah doesn't tell us about him. Karen, he looks far too old for her. There is something very strange about him."

"But he loves her," Toby spoke, twiddling his thumbs.

"One kiss, Toby, no matter how passionate, isn't enough to say that someone loves someone else," Robert frowned.

"Did you notice how Sarah is completely healed?" Toby asked somewhat absently. "She doesn't have a single scar. She was bleeding internally and the doctors were just positive she wouldn't make it, but she did. I think Jareth's magic."

"Now Toby," Karen said gently. "What would make you say that? He just has an odd type of blood, that's all."

"And really odd eyes, and a really weird shimmer about his face. He looked like he was glittering in the courtroom. And what was that strange medallion on his chest? I've never seen a necklace like that before," Toby squirmed. "I think he's magic. I don't think he's from here. His eyes are different colors, his eyebrows look like some fairy's, his ears and teeth are pointed, and he has a certain step in his walk that's too graceful to be from our world."

"I think the stories Sarah used to tell you are getting to your head," Robert chuckled. "He looked like a rock singer. They always look strange."

Toby twiddled his fingers uncomfortably and listened to the silence of the room. There wasn't a sound to be heard except for the rain outside and the clanging of the grandfather clock in the entrance room. Somewhat absently, Toby listened to the clanging, and he frowned when he heard the clock clang all the way to thirteen. He sat up and looked into the sitting room, and he nearly jumped out of his skin when he saw something small and furry go racing across the entrance room floor.

"Mom," he said nervously. "Something weird just raced across the floor."

"Really now, Toby. Maybe you should go to bed. I don't know what's…"

Karen stopped when a strange giggle sounded from underneath the couch.

"Toby, what's under the couch?" Robert asked, putting his book down.

"I have no idea," Toby whispered, pulling his legs up to his chin and scooting over to a corner of the couch. "Something really strange is going on."

Karen got up from her seat and moved over to the couch. She leaned over to look under it and screamed when a furry red creature jumped out at her and shouted, "Boo!"

"Toby! Toby get off of there!" She shouted, grabbing her son and pulling him off the couch as the goblin, for indeed it was a goblin, jumped out from under the couch.

"There are more of them!" Toby shouted, watching as goblins appeared from under his father's chair, from inside the fireplace, and from above, hanging on to the light fixtures.

The goblins, being very mischievous creatures, seemed to find delight in the humans' discomfort, and they danced about the room, jumping at Toby, Robert and Karen. Sarah's poor family was overwhelmed, and they shouted and screamed every time one of the fuzzy creatures made a face at them or jumped at them.

"That's enough! Quiet!" An authoritative voice spoke from the doorway, and the goblins squealed and went back into their hiding places.

Slowly, terrified, Robert, Toby and Karen turned their heads towards the doorway.

"Who are you? What are you doing in my house?" Robert demanded as Jareth took a step towards them.

"I am Jareth, the Goblin King of the Underground," Jareth smiled smugly, folding his arms across his chest. "I told you I would spend more time meeting you all later."

"The Goblin King? I knew it!" Toby shouted, jumping off the couch and pointing a finger in Jareth's face. "You're the one that stole me away when I was a baby!"

"Stole you away?" Karen whispered, close to fainting.

"That's right," Jareth nodded. "Please have a seat. There is quite story to tell, and I haven't much time."

Karen and Robert both fell back onto the couch, exasperated and confused. Toby remained standing, watching as the Goblin King came to a stand in front of the couch and began to talk, walking and waving his hands casually as he did so.

"There was once a young girl," Jareth said easily, "who had a stepmother and a little baby brother that she had to care for. One day, irritated and tired, she wished her brother away to the goblins. The Goblin King came and took the child, as she asked, then returned to the girl, giving her a chance to redeem her brother. He took her to his world, the Labyrinth, and gave her thirteen hours to find and save her brother. She did."

Jareth stopped walking and stroked his chin thoughtfully.

"I was absolutely amazed that she figured it out. The Goblin King," he said, his eyes flitting from Robert's to Karen's, "had fallen in love with the girl and given her certain powers. Those powers gave her the ability to make all of her deepest dreams come true. At the request of a child, the Goblin King returned to the girl years later to help her dream again. Hence the reason I came, but I must return to the Labyrinth."

"Then why are you here?" Toby asked, the only one able to speak at the moment.

"Because, as I said, I am in love with Sarah. That is why I gave her my blood. My blood can only heal her because she is the one of my choosing. She is the one that the Underground is considering for a queen. I have come to you," Jareth said with a wave of his hand. "To request your permission for your daughter's hand in marriage."

"You…you would take her away to the Labyrinth with you?' Robert struggled.

"No. Sadly, I cannot. The inhabitants of my world want to see if Sarah truly loves me in return, if she truly has enough love to care for the Underground as I have and be its queen. Sarah has to find her own way back to the Labyrinth, and she is going to need your help."

"None of this makes any sense," Karen sighed, putting her hand in Robert's. "How do we know you aren't just some insane person who's fallen for Sarah's beauty? You know, if you really loved her, you would find a way to take her back to your world, if there is such a place, with you."

"You're asking for Sarah's hand even though I don't know a thing about you," Robert frowned.

"True. Let me show you where Sarah would be living, and perhaps my love for her will be more obvious. Please, stand up and follow me."

Toby was already standing, and Karen stood up hurriedly.

"Karen," Robert said, grabbing her arm. "This man is a perfect stranger. I think he's also out of his mind! We can't just follow him!"

"Sweetheart," Karen smiled softly at him. "I have heard about him. Sarah used to whisper his name in her sleep. She used to pretend she was speaking with him or was dancing with him. I think he is who he says he is. He won't hurt us. We can at least see if he's telling the truth. He also saved Sarah, don't forget."

Robert sighed and then stood up.

"Very well, Goblin King," he said uncertainly. "Lead on."

Jareth walked towards the front door and then opened it.

"It's raining cats and dogs out there," Toby frowned. "I don't see any new world."

"Step outside, Toby."

"You even know my name," Toby quipped, stepping outside and looking up at the Goblin King. "Now what?"

He realized, quite suddenly, that the rain had stopped. Karen gasped from behind him, and Toby turned his head to see what all the fuss was about. He found that he was no longer standing outside of his house, but was instead right on the brink of a tremendous pool of water, a magnificent waterfall pouring down into it from the sky. Many different colored gems glistened from inside the water, making hundreds of tiny rainbows dance against the pounding water.

"This is my Labyrinth," Jareth said, stretching out his arms and indicating all of the immense beauty that surrounded them. "This is where I want Sarah to be queen."

The Williams gazed about them, awed by the splendor. Behind them were enormous green fields through which flowed a great stream from the waterfall. Deer grazed peacefully throughout the land, butterflies soaring gracefully overhead.

"My world is immense," Jareth said, placing his hand on Robert's shoulder and transporting them to another place.

The newcomers found themselves in great woods, long green vines full of flowers wrapped around enormous trees whose limbs reached up high above and joined together to form great nets of leaves.

"Here many a mysterious creature lives," Jareth said, stepping forward and sweeping his hand out in front of him. "Fairies reside in the trees. Brownies hide within the hollows of the roots. In the stream occasionally are mermaids, but you must be quick to see them."

"There's water everywhere," Robert noted, eyes wide with disbelief.

"Yes," Jareth nodded. "Water is what sustains these creatures just as it is what sustains the living beings in your world. Take a drink from the stream. You never have tasted such fresh water."

Karen was the first to drop on her knees next to the stream and cup her hands into the cool liquid. She brought it up to her mouth and took a deep sip. Her eyes brightened as the water rushed down her throat, and she stood up, her face glowing.

"It's magnificent!"

"There are hundreds of others places I could show you," Jareth said with a small smile. "But it would take a very long time. Would you care to see my castle?"

"Oh, please!" Karen exclaimed.

The three humans and Jareth were transported to a luxurious garden, flowers of all colors and descriptions growing beautifully on all sides. There was a water fountain standing before Jareth and his guests. The water poured out from the hands of statue. The statue was a figure of a young woman holding a baby, and Toby was fascinated. He walked up to the statue and stood up on his tiptoes to look more carefully at the baby's face.

"Hey!" he said breathlessly. "It's me!"

"So it is," Jareth nodded. "I had that made after you and Sarah left. Come. I want to show you the inside of the castle."

The castle towered above them, white and gold in the dazzling sunlight. Jareth led Robert, Karen and Toby into the castle, making certain to move slowly, giving his guests plenty of time to look about them in awe.

There wasn't a single castle in the whole planet of Earth that matched Jareth's for splendor and size. King Solomon's castle of old may have been as great, but that ceases to exist, so it doesn't count.

There were immense corridors, bordered by magnificent cloisters with flowery vines climbing up them. Several corridors were outside, and many were inside. Water could be seen in almost every room, signifying the beauty and necessity of the liquid, a very present reminder of the life giving water from the Savior. Flowers were everywhere, crawling up the cloisters or in great bouquets throughout the palace.

Jareth led the Williams through several rooms, including a large ballroom, the great entrance room, an immense dining hall, and, of course, the magnificent, indescribable throne room. He then led them to his quarters and showed them where Sarah would be spending her nights if she so wished to do so. He informed them that it would be Sarah's decision where she would wish to spend her nights, whether she would want his company or would want quarters of her own. If she wanted her own, they would outshine Jareth's own rooms, he assured them.

As was to be expected, Mr. and Mrs. Williams were very overwhelmed. Jareth showed them one more place before he brought them into an interior courtyard for refreshments, and it was his study. The study was an enormous room, like every other room in the house, and it overlooked a great portion of the Labyrinth. Jareth didn't pay any mind to the exquisite scenery, but he led the family over to a great painting on a wall.

"This," he said, indicating the painting, a very serious, thoughtful look on his face. "Is my masterpiece."

"That's my baby," Robert whispered, gazing at the gorgeous portrait of Sarah.

She looked exactly as she did at this present point in time, and was standing in the castle garden. She wasn't facing her viewers, but was looking down at the luxurious roses that were resting in her hand, a smile on her face. She was dressed in a flowing light purple dress, her long hair down with the wind blowing through it. Tiny white flowers lined her brunette waves, and a distinct glitter, faint yet noticeable, sparkled about her eyes and cheeks. She was surrounded by roses and vines, and looked picturesque of a fairy goddess in the early morning light.

"You painted this before you saw her again when she was an adult?" Karen asked breathlessly.

"I painted it from memory and from what I assumed Sarah would look like when she was older," Jareth nodded, looking the picture up and down.

"You really do love her, don't you?" Toby asked.

"Yes, I do," Jareth said and then cleared his throat. "Shall we have some refreshments?"

Instantly, the group disappeared and then reappeared in a great sitting room. Servants, Fae women dressed in flowing garments, moved about them, placing plates of great delicacies in front of them and batting their eyes at Jareth every chance that they could.

"The…uh…women seem to like you," Robert said uncomfortably as the women left the room.

"I'm the king," Jareth said simply. "Many of those simple-minded females believe that the sole responsibility of the king is to produce heirs. They wouldn't mind at all if they were the mothers."

"So what precisely would Sarah be to you?" Karen asked with concern.

"My wife. She would be my queen. I don't ever return the affection of the Fae women," Jareth said, taking a sip of his drink. "Sarah is the only one I love, therefore Sarah is the only one who ever gets any of my affection, who ever _has_ received any of my affection."

"Jareth, how do you know Sarah wants to stay with you?" Toby asked.

"That is why she must find her way back to the Labyrinth on her own," Jareth said with a shrug. "It will take her whole heart to come back to the Labyrinth, and it will be even a more challenge for her to find me."

"What happens if she comes but she loses heart and doesn't want you anymore?" Karen asked.

"She will have thirteen hours to find me," Jareth said, his forehead creasing. "If she can't find me in that amount of time, she shall be returned to the Aboveground, though there is something I must share with you…"

"What?" Robert asked.

"In order to save Sarah's life, I gave her some of my blood. She has Fae blood running through her veins now, Robert, and if she were to return to your world, she would become weak. She wouldn't die, as far as I know, but she would always be weakly. Perhaps it now sounds that I was trying to trick her when I gave her my blood, but I assure you, had I not done it, she would be dead now."

"So one way or the other, we should want Sarah to be with you?" Karen asked.

"Well," Robert said, standing up. "I thank you for the tour of your kingdom, Goblin King. I don't believe this is a decision we can make without much thought. As far as I'm concerned, Sarah belongs in her world, and you belong in yours. I dislike how you've deceived us, how you've been preying on Sarah ever since…ever since…"

"Ever since she came into existence," Jareth said simply, standing up. "I understand. All of this, this new world, my position, my feelings for Sarah and her feelings for me, is very confusing to you. Chances are you can't even believe you're here. When it does strike you that you really were in the Labyrinth and that Sarah would be much better off in this world, then I am certain you will make the right decision. As for now, I bid you farewell."

Jareth waved his hand, and instantly, the Williams were returned to their house. They arrived in their living room, positioned just as they had been before Jareth came. Karen had her sewing in her lap, Robert was holding his book, and Toby was lying down on the couch.

Toby seemed to be the only one, at that moment, that believed everything that had just happened. He thought about the Goblin King, how the powerful Fae had shown such love for Sarah and how he only wanted her best. He remembered how Sarah had clung to Jareth, kissing him like there was no tomorrow.

The Goblin King was real. The Labyrinth existed. Jareth wanted Sarah to be his queen. The Goblin King had loved the girl ever since the beginning.

Toby looked over at his parents to see an expression on their faces like they were just waking up from a dream. They looked drowsy, and he knew that it would be greatly up to him for them to give Sarah to the man she belonged to.


	17. I Can't Live Within You

**Here is the next chapter! Enjoy, and please review!**

**Chapter Seventeen: I Can't Live Within You**

Sarah was in turmoil the next morning. She walked into her office to receive many congratulations about winning the case the previous day, but she didn't feel victorious. She cleaned up her office, then told her employer that it was time she stopped her job. Her boss seemed to understand, for Sarah had been involved in a traumatic experience, and the last thing she wanted was to be physically abused and nearly lose her life again. Elaine and Samuel were both sorry to see her go, but Sarah had been involved with social work for several years and it was high time she stopped and did something for herself.

Robert and Karen seemed more reserved than usual, and Toby was nowhere to be seen when Sarah got home. The boy was actually in his room, trying to think of ways to show his parents that Sarah and Jareth needed to be together.

The weather was stunning on this particular day, and Sarah decided to get outside and spend some time alone. A couple of miles away from the house was an old historic church building, and Sarah walked there, her head bowed and her heart heavy. She couldn't think of anything aside from Jareth, and her thoughts made her sad.

It was dusk, but Sarah didn't seem to notice. She entered the overgrown garden of the church building. It was a beautiful, mysterious place. Faded stone sculptures of Biblical characters stood tall and lonely in the garden, green from moss. There were several stone benches, and Sarah sat down on one of them and looked around.

She felt secure in this place, for she was entirely surrounded by old trees and wild vines. A gentle breeze blew through the quiet place, trying to comfort Sarah.

Toby had seen Sarah leave the house, and he had insisted that his father come with him and follow her. He and Robert found a stone bench behind a mass of vines and watched Sarah. They were amazed when, seconds later, a huge beast with fiery orange hair stepped into the open and moved towards Sarah. Robert and Toby exchanged looks and then turned to watch what would happen.

Sarah stood up from her bench and rushed to the large creature, a small smile on her face.

"Ludo!" she cried, throwing her arms around her friend. "I'm so glad you came! I need a hug from you!"

"Sarah sad?" Ludo asked, clumsily putting his arms around the woman and hugging her.

"Yes. I'm very sad, Ludo, for I fear that after today, I will never see the Goblin King again."

"And why dost that sadden you, fair maiden?" Sir Didymus asked from atop Ambroscious as they appeared.

"Because I love him," Sarah said, kneeling down and patting Ambroscious' head. "I really do, Sir Didymus."

"You weren't tricked, were you?" Hoggle asked, appearing next to her and tapping her shoulder.

"No. This wasn't a trick," Sarah said, shaking her head. "I loved him all along, I was just too young and too busy to understand."

"Well, we're here for you now, Sarah. You'll be all right," Hoggle said with a nod and then took her hand in his. "Come sit down and we'll keep you company."

Sarah walked back to the bench with her friends and then sat down. Hoggle sat next to her on one side, and Sir Didymus hopped off Ambroscious' back and sat next to her on the other. Ludo, too big to sit on the bench even if he tried, stood behind her and put his furry arms around her.

The creatures from the Labyrinth did their best to comfort Sarah, hugging her and telling her all would be well. Sarah smiled through her tears, appreciating their loving gestures.

Minutes later, in a flurry of glitter, the Goblin King appeared.

"It seems you were able to give yourself some company," Jareth said, taking a long stride towards Sarah's friends.

"I was lonely," Sarah answered, not moving towards him, but standing and watching him.

"It was good of you creatures to come to your fair maiden's assistance. Be off with you now," Jareth said, waving his hand graciously over Hoggle, Ludo, Sir Didymus and Ambroscious.

The friends disappeared in a swirl of glitter, leaving Jareth and Sarah to themselves.

"I was wondering when you would come back," Sarah said quietly, not moving.

"I promised you I would see you one last time," Jareth said, stepping towards her. "I always keep my promises."

Sarah looked up into his eyes, her own rapidly becoming clouded with tears. She studied his face as the tears continued to gather together, memorizing every line, every trace of his face. She remembered every kiss she had ever received from his lips, every loving look that he had sent her way through his magnificent eyes. It broke her heart to think that she might never be able to feel his touch or see his face again.

"I wish you wouldn't leave. Not after everything we've been through," she said, a tear streaming down her cheek as Jareth stopped in front of her. "You've helped me see again when I was blind. You saved me when I was nearly dead. You've been my comforter, the one always there for me. Please don't just leave me."

"I haven't a choice, my dearest one," Jareth answered. "You will find me. I know you will."

"But I haven't the confidence in myself that you have in me. I already forgot how to dream once," Sarah sniffed and then abruptly flung herself at Jareth and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Oh Jareth, I couldn't bear it if I never see you again! What if I can't find my way back to the Labyrinth? I never found my way there in the first place! What if I never see you again?"

She clung tightly to him; her eyes squeezed shut tightly and sobs emitting from her mouth. Tears streamed from her eyes, dripped off her chin, and landed gently in the Goblin King's silken hair.

Jareth held her close, rubbing her back gently.

"I can't live within you, Sarah. We have come to the crossroads. You must make your choice. If you truly love me, if you truly want to be with me always, then you will find your way to me. I have sought you out and found you several times now. I have given you a power that will help you. You must find the porthole to the Labyrinth and grasp it with all the strength you have. If you put your heart and soul into finding me, then I promise that you shall."

"I will find you," Sarah cried, sliding away from him. "This heart that beats within me," she whispered, placing his hand on her chest above her heart, "belongs to you. It will never belong to another. I will never give it away, and it cannot be stolen. I will search all night and all day if I must to find you again and be joined with you. I love you, Goblin King, with a love that cannot be broken."

"My queen," Jareth murmured, leaning forward and kissing the tears that rested on her cheeks. "My heart always has been and always will be yours." He took her free hand and put it over his chest, lacing his fingers through hers. "So long as this heart beats, it will cry out your name. Even if you never find me, even if you never return to the Labyrinth, this heart will belong to no other. I love you, you precious thing."

"Oh Jareth!" Sarah groaned. "Why must you leave?"

Jareth lowered his face to hers, and he pressed his mouth firmly against her own, his hand still over her heart, and her hand still over his. Their hands glowed as they kissed, as though declaring that the two did indeed belong to each other and nothing would ever break their connection.

Sarah kissed her king insistently, begging him with every touch not to leave, with every tear not to depart from her. Jareth kissed her with passion, tasting of his love one last time before he might never see her again.

Sarah could feel him slipping away from her, and she grabbed hold of his shirt, pleading with the Labyrinth and the whole of the Underground not to tear her heart in two.

"Jareth, don't go," she whimpered, her mouth against his, her tears trickling onto his lips. "If I should never find you again, I would never forgive myself."

His shirt became light in her hands, and she looked up at him, her eyes swollen from crying. He was fading, although he was fighting it with every second, and glitter had begun swirling about him.

"Find your way back to me," Jareth said, his voice becoming distant. "Find your way back, Sarah."

He disappeared, leaving Sarah, once again, all alone in the garden.

Sarah sunk to the ground, her hands to her face. She was sobbing, tears pouring from her eyes and her body quivering frightfully. She brought her hands to her heart, shaking her head as she did so, and felt something cool beneath her fingers. She opened her eyes and glanced down to see a necklace, with a crystal in the shape of a dewdrop, resting against her chest. She picked the dewdrop up and gazed in it to see glitter dancing inside, reminding her that she had the strength to find her way back to her love.

"Sarah," a voice spoke, and Sarah glanced up to see Robert and Toby stepping out of the brush. "Sarah, my dear Sarah."

Robert knelt down next to his daughter and took her in his arms, pulling her close to his heart.

"How long I've tried to protect you," he whispered as Sarah buried her tear-stained face in his shirt. "But now I believe it's time someone else took on that responsibility, someone who can do it far better than I can. You belong with him, that peculiar Goblin King. I promise you, Sarah, that Karen, Toby and I will do everything we can to help you find your way to the Underground."

"Thank you," Sarah cried into his shirt. "Thank you."


	18. Live Without the Sunlight

**Wow! It's been awhile since I last put up a chapter! My Internet was down! Enjoy and please review! Thanks so much to everyone who's been encouraging me! You all are great!**

**Chapter Eighteen: Live Without the Sunlight**

The search for the Labyrinth began immediately. The Williams family held a discussion about what could possibly assist Sarah in returning to the Underground. "The Labyrinth" book was taken out of Sarah's room, and together the family read it, paying careful attention to each detail of the story. It must be admitted that Robert and Karen were shocked over all the incidents that happened to Toby when he was a baby, and they were a trifle upset that Sarah even wished her brother away in the first place, but on the whole, the family found the book to be fascinating, and the story of the Goblin King and the girl to be quite magical.

Over the next several weeks, Robert, Karen and Toby did everything they could to help Sarah find her way back. Each family member read "The Labyrinth" over fifteen times each.

During the first week, Robert drove Sarah several hours away to the Poconos. They spent the night at a small hotel and then hiked to the waterfall.

"Now Sarah," Robert said, sitting down on a boulder. "What happened last time you were here? Try and relive it."

"Last time there was a unicorn and fairies," Sarah sighed, stepping towards the lake of water beneath the falls. "But Jareth was with me, Dad, and I can always dream better when he's with me."

"I think he still is with you," Robert said, standing up and moving to his daughter. "He's in your heart, in your thoughts, and that's all that matters. He gave you a necklace to remind you that he's always with you. Try hard, Sarah. Perhaps with every dream you bring to life, you'll be taking one step closer to the Labyrinth."

Sarah sighed and gazed at the woods surrounding them, trying to imagine the unicorn back into existence. It took a full hour before she and Robert heard rustling coming from the trees and the magnificent white horse with a golden horn stepped timidly out of the woods. Sarah collapsed on the ground when she saw him, for she was exhausted from trying to make him come alive, and she had a throbbing headache.

Robert was in complete shock as the great unicorn stallion stepped over to the water and gazed expectantly at Sarah.

"Dad, I can't get up. Would you please pet him?" Sarah asked wearily.

Robert didn't say a word, but he stepped hesitantly towards the horse and then nervously touched him on the nose. The unicorn squealed, nearly making Robert fall over backward.

"My goodness!" Robert exclaimed. "That Goblin King's given you quite the gift!"

"So he has. Maybe I can get those fairies to come," Sarah said weakly.

While Robert amused himself by petting the unicorn, Sarah did her best to conjure up the fairies. Within fifteen minutes, there were masses of the tiny creatures fluttering about the waterfall. As she had done before, Sarah stepped out onto the water and held her hands out to the fairies. They promptly took her hands, and Sarah began to dance.

Robert and the unicorn watched in silence as Sarah waltzed in and out of the swirls of fairies, moving as gracefully as a queen in the midst of a great ball. She had an unearthly beauty about her as she twirled, her long hair brushing against her and the multi-colored fairies spinning all about her.

Sarah could not find much joy in the situation, for while she danced, her heart ached. She remembered how Jareth had come to her on this very lake and had swept her away. She could almost hear his voice, whispering amongst the fairies, and a lone tear streamed down her cheek.

"Jareth…" she whispered, and abruptly, the fairies and unicorn disappeared and Sarah, her imagination having fallen away, dropped into the water.

She came up gagging and sputtering, water swirling all around her and the falls threatening to pull her under. Sarah had not been told how the Fae blood within her would affect her strength, and she panicked as she struggled to get back to shore. She was confused as to why she was having difficulty swimming against the current, and when she reached the edge of the water, Robert reached out and grabbed her wrists. He pulled her onto the land and immediately knelt in front of her.

"Sarah! Sarah, are you all right? What happened?"

"I can't dream without him!" Sarah cried, her eyes red and her voice hoarse. "Dad, why couldn't I swim?"

"Jareth told us," Robert said, holding his daughter tightly to him, "that the Fae blood in you makes you weak in our world. In the Labyrinth, it will make you strong, but here, it weakens you."

"Dad, I have to find my way back!" Sarah choked. "Please don't let me give up!"

"I won't, Sweetheart. I won't. I promise you."

Robert spent a couple more days with his daughter in the Poconos, for he wanted to spend as much time with her as he could before she left him. He loved her greatly, and while there was part of him that wanted to keep her with him forever, he knew that the time was near at hand when she needed to be joined to the man she truly loved.

The whole family went to the New York coast at the end of that week, and together, they stood on the beach late one night and tried to help Sarah remember the pirates, prince, princess, ships and dolphins. It took her even longer to think those things into existence than it had taken her to dream up the unicorn and fairies, and when the ships did arrive and the pirates began firing their cannons, it startled her and her family immensely, for they didn't arrive gently, but they were already at war when they appeared.

A cannon ball flew past Toby's head, and he shouted and dropped to the sand, covering his head with his hands. The pirate ship didn't just attack the royal ship, for before Sarah was quite prepared for it, the pirate ship beached itself on the sand, and several of the pirates exited the ship and rushed towards her.

"Hear ye, lass!" The pirate captain, a huge man with dark dreadlocks and a grimy face, shouted as he grabbed Sarah and wrapped his arm around her neck. "We be taking ye prisoners!"

One of the pirates grabbed Karen, and the woman shouted and turned in his arms. She kicked him hard in the shins and then grabbed hold of Robert' arm.

"Sarah! Do something!" Robert shouted.

"Tell me how to get to the Labyrinth," Sarah said calmly, gazing into her captor's eyes. "You must tell me."

The pirate captain laughed, his comrades joining in.

"And why would we want to assist you? We be pirates! We help no one but ourselves!" he roared with laughter. "We don't belong to the Labyrinth!"

"You're right. You can't help me," Sarah sighed and then turned away. As she moved, the pirates, ships and dolphins faded and then disappeared altogether.

The next week brought with it a trip to the small restaurant with the stream. Karen took Sarah there for lunch, and the two of them alone sat out on the back porch. Sarah imagined the mermaids again, and once she saw them, she took hold of Karen's hand and they both rushed down to the stream. Karen had heard some stories about mermaids and how they entranced their victims and then drowned them, and she was none too comfortable with Sarah standing on the edge of the water and talking to them. The mermaids had no intention of harming Sarah or Karen, and they spoke to Sarah, their voices nothing more than whispers on the wind. Karen couldn't understand what they were saying, but Sarah could. They couldn't help her either, and crestfallen, Sarah turned away from the creatures and brought Karen back to the restaurant.

Toby was the most active in the pursuit of the Underground. He took Sarah everywhere he could think of that would stimulate some way for her to get to the Labyrinth. It was he that took her to the top of a high roof and made her dream up the dragon again. He encouraged her to invite the Brownies back for tea one afternoon, which proved to be disastrous, for the tea had caffeine in it, and before Sarah and Toby had swallowed more than three gulps of the liquid, Quizzle and his men were flying about the room and hanging from the light fixtures.

Peter Pan arrived at the beginning of the third week, when the family was eating dinner outside. The cocky child had no desire whatsoever to assist Sarah in her search, for as far as he was concerned, he was far better than any Goblin King, and didn't they just admire how he could play his pipes?

The fourth week brought with it a terrific storm, but Sarah didn't try to imagine anything from it. She was exhausted from the weeks of trying to find her way back to Jareth and was beginning to think that there was no possible way to do it.

On the night of the storm, Sarah sat down tiredly on her bed and rubbed her eyes with her hands, trying to think of some way to get into the Underground that she hadn't yet tried. She looked out the window, hoping to see a great barn owl fluttering about, trying to get in, but there was none.

"Jareth," she whispered, her eyes filling with tears. "I've tried and tried, but I can't find you! What am I missing? I've imagined up everything that I thought of when you were with me. I've read the story over and over again, but I can't get back. Why? Perhaps your people do not want me. Maybe it would be best if I just stopped trying."

"Hey, Sar…" Toby's voice came from the doorway, and Sarah looked up as he entered the room. "Don't give up, okay? You've never given up before. You can't afford to do it now."

"Why not?" Sarah sighed. "I still haven't figured out how to get back."

"Because if you had given up in the past, I would still be in the Labyrinth, Jessica Lee would still be in the hands of her abusive parents, and you would still be unable to dream. If you give up now," Toby said, sitting down next to her, "You'll lose Jareth and you probably won't see him again. Come on. There's something I want to show you."

He took Sarah's hand and pulled her to her feet. He then led her through the dark hall outside of Sarah's room and led her into their parents' room.

"This is where it first happened, isn't it?" he asked, waving his hand across the dark room.

"Where what happened?" Sarah asked, confused.

"This is where you first wished me away and you first saw the Goblin King. Maybe something about that time, something about the way everything is right now, will give you an idea on how to get back. Don't try and dream up anything to appear in here. Just try and remember the first time you saw Jareth."

Toby let go of her hand and stepped back, watching her from a distance.

Sarah walked towards the outside doors, lightning illuminating her features as she did so. She looked deep inside herself, and began to have flashbacks of that night so many years ago.

_"Goblin King, Goblin King, wherever you may be, come and take this child of mine far away from me!"_

_Thunder rumbled outside and Toby started crying even louder._

_Sarah put Toby in his cradle and walked over to the light switch._

_"I wish the goblins would come and take you away."_

Images began to flash through Sarah's mind, her eyes widening as she did so.

_Toby stopped crying. The light wouldn't turn on. Goblins raced through the room. A great owl beat its wings frantically against the doors. The doors flew open and curtains and feathers blinded Sarah's sight. There was cold dread as Sarah looked up and saw the Goblin King, in his entire splendor, standing in the doorway. "Where is he?" "You know very well where he is." Sarah stepped out the doorway and into another world…_

Sarah closed her eyes and suddenly, a warm, familiar feeling flowed through her body.

"Toby!" She exclaimed, hands grasping her necklace. "Toby, I can feel it! I can feel the Labyrinth!"

"Keep going, Sarah!" Toby shouted above the thunder. "Step closer to it! Break through!"

Sarah grit her teeth and forced herself to continue feeling the warmth and mystery of the Underground. It seemed as though it was stretching out its hand to her, begging her to take it, and Sarah was stretching her hand out to meet it, but she just couldn't reach it.

Sarah thrust her hand out, fingers extended, and struggled.

"Come on!" she pleaded, a tear streaming down her cheek. "I'm so close! Come on! Don't let go, Sarah! Hold on!"

She became weak. Her hand dropped, and Sarah stepped back and collapsed on her parents' bed. She was shaking, tears dampening her face.

"I was so close, Toby. I was so close! If only I could have held on!"

"Sarah, is there anywhere else that you were that day? Is there anywhere else that could bring you memories about what happened?"

"Not that I can think of," Sarah said, shaking her head. "I wished for the Goblin King to come here. I wished you away in this room. There was no other place."

"I think there was, and you just can't remember it. There's somewhere that the memories are stronger, and it's not here. Sarah, keep thinking about where else you were that day. Where else did you reach out to the Labyrinth, perhaps without even realizing it? You were almost there," Toby said, sitting down next to her and putting his hand on her shoulder. "You were so close."

"Toby, I don't know what else to do," Sarah cried, putting her hand to her eyes. "I could _feel_ it. For a few seconds it was reaching out to me, pulling me towards it, but then I had to let go!"

"Don't give up when you're so close," Toby said, giving her a hug. "You'll make it, Sarah. I know you will."

"This is so hard! I love him, Toby, but I can't get back to him! What if I've waited too long? It's probably been months in the Underground! Maybe he gave up on me!"

"He wouldn't. He waited thirteen years to come back to you. He won't give up now," Toby said, shaking his head violently. "I hardly know him, but I saw enough of him to know that he loves you and he's not going to ever give up on you. You can't give up on yourself. Mom, Dad and I aren't going to give up, and you shouldn't either. It'll come, Sarah. You'll find your way back. I know you will."

"If only I had your confidence," Sarah cried softly.


	19. Sometimes the Way Forward

**Alright, chapter nineteen is up! Thank you all so much for the awesome reviews! I'm glad you're enjoying the story! And congratulations to those of you who guessed Sarah would find her way back by way of the park! Oh, as a side note, Ichobana Rose and I teamed up and wrote two Labyrinth fanfictions, one of which is now being put online, so make sure to check out her stories! If you're interested, the story is "Power Outage." Enjoy this chapter, and let me know what you think! **

**"But down in the Underground, you'll find someone true…" **

**Chapter Nineteen: Sometimes the Way Forward is the Way Back**

_He was standing before her, just as he had every other night, the wind blowing gently through his hair, his face devoid of all its shimmer and his eyes empty of all life. His torn white cloak fluttered weakly about him, and his step was tired and weary._

_"I ask for so little. Can you not simply find me?"_

_"I've tried!" Sarah's voice exclaimed, weak and far away. "I've looked everywhere for you, but I cannot find you no matter how hard I try!"_

_"You aren't giving up, are you?"_

_"No," Sarah sobbed, shaking her head wildly. "No. I'll never give up."_

"I'll never give up! Never! Never!"

Robert and Karen watched Sarah thrash on her bed, a hot sweat on their beautiful daughter's forehead.

"Robert, it's been five weeks," Karen whispered to her husband, looking up at him with concern. "She's been this way every night."

_The Goblin King transformed into an owl and fluttered about the girl's face. She didn't move, but stood firmly in his midst, letting his wings brush against her. She closed her eyes, and could almost hear him speaking, over and over again…_

_"Look back, Sarah. Look back before it's too late."_

Sarah's eyes opened and she gasped for air, her body soaked with sweat. She sat up abruptly and breathed heavily. She looked over to her door to see her parents standing there, watching her worriedly.

"How long have I been thrashing?" Sarah asked breathlessly.

"For the past half hour, Sweetheart."

"It's been a week since Toby and I went in your room and I felt close to the Labyrinth. I was so close! There's someplace I'm forgetting, someplace that has my answer to how to get back to Jareth. This is so frustrating!" Sarah groaned, getting off her bed and pacing. "I feel so far away and yet so close! What time is it?"

"Eight o'clock in the morning, Honey," Karen said gently. "I think you told Frankie you would be going to the orphanage after breakfast today. He wanted to talk to you."

"I know. Maybe he has the answer," Sarah sighed, pulling a shirt and skirt out of her closet. "I'll be all right. Thank you for watching me, but I'll be fine."

"Okay," Robert said and then he and Karen left.

Five weeks. It had been _five weeks_ since Jareth left, and still Sarah hadn't found her way back to him. She was frustrated, tired from her restless nights, and confused with why she couldn't find the answer.

Toby watched his sister with concern as she hurried through breakfast, and he watched her drive away from the house, a frown on her lovely face.

Frankie was waiting for Sarah in the front sitting room of the orphanage. He had a book in his hand, as usual, and he looked up at Sarah with a smile on his young face.

"Hello Miss Sarah," he said cheerfully. "I'm so glad you came!"

"Toby told me you wanted me to come," Sarah said, sitting down next to him and putting her purse down.

"I did. He told me how upset you've been over the past few weeks. He also told me how close you came to the Labyrinth," Frankie squirmed.

"And why did he tell you?" Sarah frowned.

"You know how well Toby and I get along, Miss Sarah. He's my friend. He writes to me all the time when he's out of New York, and he visits as much as he can when he's here. He also knows about how I wished the Goblin King would come in the first place."

"What is it you want, Frankie?" Sarah asked with a sigh.

"I want to help you, of course."

"And how were you planning on doing that?"

"Toby told me that you were in your parents' room when you got close to the Labyrinth last week, Miss Sarah. He said he thinks there's somewhere you are missing, and that's why you can't get back, someplace that you've forgotten but it's an extremely important place."

"And you know where it is?" Sarah asked.

"No. I think I know what might help you," Frankie said, sitting up a bit taller. "Did the Goblin King give you anything while he was with you, Miss Sarah?"

"He gave me a couple of things. He gave me a rose and a necklace," Sarah frowned. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"Did he give you anything that has to do with your past somehow, like when he first saw you?"

Sarah folded her arms across her chest, her forehead creased with thought.

"Not that I can think of, Frankie."

"In the beginning of the story, it described a little bit of what the girl was wearing. What about a medieval dress? Do you have that still?"

"He did make it larger for me somehow so I could wear it again," Sarah said, standing up and pacing.

"Have you put it on since he left?"

"No, of course not," Sarah laughed. "People would think I was a fool if I walked around in that."

"Maybe it has your answer," Frankie said with a shrug. "Maybe you should put it on and see what happens."

"Frankie, I don't see how that would help anything. It won't trigger my imagination, and it will only make me more discouraged that I haven't found my way back to Jareth yet," Sarah sighed.

"I still think you should try it. It wouldn't hurt."

"Frankie, I don't know where you get your ideas from sometimes," Sarah smiled sadly. "But for your sake, I'll try it."

"Great! Do it as soon as you get home and let me know what happens!" Frankie exclaimed joyfully.

Sarah was deep in thought as she drove home. She constantly marveled at how intelligent and yet so simple children were. Frankie believed in the stories he read, believed in them greatly, enough for him to bring an imaginary character out of a different world and into Frankie's. Perhaps he was on to something.

As soon as Sarah got back to the house, she went up to her room and pulled out the medieval dress. It looked exactly as it had years before; only it was a little bit larger.

Sarah closed her bedroom door and quickly pulled the dress over her other clothes. She didn't feel any magical emotions overcoming her as she put it on, didn't feel a spark of power rushing through her as she turned and looked in her mirror. There was something strangely familiar about the dress with the way her hair was pulled back, however… Her hair was pulled back in a loose bun of sorts, pieces of hair falling down and gently framing her face. She looked a bit younger, a bit more magical…

Sarah caught sight of the rose Jareth had given her, dead and brittle on her vanity table. She picked it up gently and placed it in her hair. It was then, when she saw her reflection in the mirror, that a spark of memory rushed through her.

She remembered being dressed like this, years and years ago, and standing in a park, an owl and a sheepdog her only companions. She remembered stepping towards the owl, her eyes dark and determined, and speaking the words that would ultimately change her life.

_"Through dangers untold and hardships unnumbered, I have fought my way here to the castle beyond the Goblin City, to take back the child that you have stolen. For my will is as strong as yours, and my kingdom is as great! You have no power over me!"_

"The park," Sarah whispered, her eyes wide as she recalled that small place of serenity that she used to occupy almost every afternoon.

She recalled the great clock that had overlooked the place, remembered how it had chimed on one particular night, telling her that she was late in getting home. She remembered speaking to Merlin, telling him to "come on" because they were late. Rain had poured down on her as she had raced across the park bridge, across a street, and to the front porch of the house. The owl had watched her the whole way. The owl in the park…

"Dad! Karen! Toby!"

The scream echoed all the way downstairs, and Sarah's family leaped up from their seats and rushed to the stairway.

"Sarah! Sarah, what is it?" Robert shouted.

"Sarah, are you all right? What happened?" Karen exclaimed.

Sarah's bedroom door slammed open, and she rushed to the stairs, holding the skirt of her dress up a bit as she did so, her long hair falling even more out of its bun.

"I have it!" Sarah shouted, a great smile on her face. "I know how to get back! Oh, Frankie was right! Toby, you make sure to tell Frankie that he was right! What time is it?"

"It's only twelve o'clock, Sarah," Toby said.

"Then I have to wait a few more hours, but oh, Dad, Karen, Toby! I know what to do! Is it going to rain?" Sarah asked, rushing to one of the windows and looking out.

"Sarah…" Toby started.

"It is! It is going to rain! Oh, Jareth, I'm coming back to you tonight!"

"Sarah, please explain," Robert said, grabbing his daughter's arms and holding her still long enough to look into her face.

"Dad, at seven o'clock, thirteen years ago, I was at the small park near our house, the one with the bridge and the stream. The owl was there, Dad! Jareth himself was there, watching me. I was quoting from 'The Labyrinth' and reading part of the book. That's when the whole adventure started! It didn't actually start in the bedroom. The owl appeared at the park and followed me back home! That's where I have to go! And just to make sure everything's just right, I have to get there only a couple of minutes before seven! And then, if it rains, it will make things even better! I have it!" Sarah laughed and then twirled. "Oh, it was there all along!"

"That means we'll be losing you, Sarah," Karen said quietly, and Sarah turned to her stepmother.

"I am sad about that," Sarah said gently, walking over to the woman and embracing her. "But I know you, Dad and Toby want me to go, otherwise you wouldn't have been helping me so much over the past several weeks. This is what you want from me, and I know I'll be able to see you again sometimes."

"We do want you to be happy, and we think you will be happiest with Jareth," Robert said, running his fingers across his daughter's cheek. "We love you, Sweetheart."

"Would you please do one thing for me, Dad?" Sarah asked, pulling away from Karen and embracing her father.

"What would that be, Princess?"

"Frankie has been at the orphanage long enough. Would you please consider adopting him and caring for him in my place? He and Toby would make great friends, and he so needs a loving family to take him," Sarah said, looking up into her father's eyes.

"No one is going to replace you, Sarah," Toby said gently.

"Oh Toby," Sarah whispered, releasing her dad and turning to her brother. "Toby, Toby, if it weren't for you, who knows where I would be now. You were with me through everything, right from the beginning. You made me love you, made me start loving Karen. You have meant so much to me and have been my best friend through thick and through thin. If you couldn't bear for me to leave, then say so, and I will stay, for you."

"No, Sar," Toby smiled, wrapping his arms around his sister. "You belong in the Underground. I saw it. Mom, Dad and I were there. Jareth took us to see where you would be living. It was absolutely beautiful. You deserve a place like that."

"Toby, I love you so much. I love all of you so much," Sarah said, tears welling up in her eyes. "But I have to do this."

"We understand," Karen said gently. "Let's get you something to eat, Sarah. Night will be here soon enough."

Sarah spent the rest of the afternoon with her family, enjoying them and listening to everything they had to say. Truth be told, she had her doubts about her plan for getting back to the Labyrinth, but in the case that she was right, she wanted to spend every last second with her family. All of the Williams were sad, but all of them knew that Sarah belonged with Jareth.

The late afternoon came, and then the evening. It started raining outside, accompanied by thunder, and Sarah stepped onto the front porch and took in a deep breath. She was dressed in her medieval dress, her hair was still pulled away from her face, and in her hand was the red leather bound "Labyrinth" book. She turned to face her family, then gave each of the members one last, long hug. Tears were streaming down her face as she said her farewells, and Robert, Karen and Toby were all crying, but the tears were tears of happiness as well as sadness.

"Now Sarah," Karen said, wiping away her tears with a tissue. "You go ahead and get to the park. We'll take the car. It's raining now, but it will be pouring by the time we leave. You look beautiful, Honey."

"And make sure you say hello to the Goblin King for us," Robert said, embracing his daughter one last time and kissing her fondly on the cheek. "I love you, Sarah."

"I love you too, Dad," Sarah whispered into his shoulder.

"And you better," Toby said, pulling Sarah away from Robert and squeezing her tightly, "you _better_ come back and visit sometimes or at least let us know you're alive. I know you'll be all infatuated with Jareth and all, but we deserve some of your time, too!"

"Of course!" Sarah laughed through her tears and hugged him tightly. "I love you, Toby."

"I love you too, Sar. If the Goblin King ever does anything to hurt you, you let me know and I'll slug him."

The whole family laughed then, and Karen glanced at her watch.

"Oh! Sarah, you better get going if you want to be there by seven o'clock! We'll be right behind you!"

Sarah nodded and then stepped off of the porch and into the rain. She took a deep breath and then began to run.

Thunder rumbled all around her as Sarah raced through puddles, the water splashing up against her legs. She ignored the rain as piece by piece, her long hair fell out of its bun. She didn't slow her pace at all as her heart began to beat rapidly, and never once did she look behind.

Sarah saw the bridge that crossed the stream, and she quickened her pace and raced across the bridge, her feet sounding loudly against the wooden boards. She then turned and rushed to the place where she had first stood thirteen years ago and her adventure with the Labyrinth began.

She saw the pillar that the owl had been standing on and slowed her pace to a walk. She could see the headlights coming from Robert's car, and she glanced back at the clock in the tower. There was only a little over a minute left before the clock struck seven.

Sarah turned her attention back to the pillar and imagined, with her whole heart, that the owl was there. Unlike her other dreams, he didn't appear before her, but in her mind, she could see him just as clearly as if he was actually there.

Sarah heard the car doors open and then close, and then she took another deep breath and began to speak.

"Through dangers untold and hardships unnumbered, I have fought my way here to the castle beyond the Goblin City to take back the child. For my will is as strong as yours…"

The clock began to chime.

"And my kingdom is as great!"

Sarah turned her head and looked at her family, all three of the members smiling in the middle of the rain, wishing her the best of luck and the richest blessings even though there were tears in their eyes.

Sarah smiled at them, a beautiful, radiant smile, and then faced forward again. She spoke, her voice loud and clear, as a blast of thunder rumbled through the air.

"You have no power over me!"

Sarah turned her head and smiled one last time at her family before she disappeared.


	20. I have Fought my Way Here

**Hello everyone! Thank you for all the spectacular reviews! Enjoy this chapter, and please let me know what you think!**

**Chapter Twenty: I have fought my Way Here**

A great rush of cool air blew around Sarah as she disappeared from one world and reappeared in another. Sarah had closed her eyes tightly, not trusting her sight with what was happening, and she opened her eyes again when she found herself standing on solid ground and realized that it was no longer raining.

Her heart nearly stopped when she saw that she was standing exactly where she had been thirteen years before, on a great hill overlooking the rows of mazes and the Goblin City.

"I made it," she whispered, and then realized that there was a clock chiming near her.

She turned her head and immediately noticed that the great grandfather clock, hanging in mid air, had its hands pointed to the great one on its face. There were thirteen numbers all together, and Sarah instantly understood that, as before, she had thirteen hours to solve the Labyrinth.

Not wasting another second, Sarah began to run down the hill, sliding on loose rocks but ignored her stumbling as she rushed towards the gates to the Labyrinth. She paid no heed to her new clothes, for she was no longer in her medieval dress, but wore a loose poet's shirt, black silk pants, and black boots. She concentrated only on getting to the gates.

There was no Hoggle to help her, no fairies to intrigue her, and so Sarah had to find her way into the Labyrinth mazes on her own. She arrived at the gates and saw great writing above the doorway.

"You gets in there," she read aloud, and then gently tried to push one of the doors open, for there was no knob or handle.

The door wouldn't move, and, in desperation, Sarah flung her body against it. Instantly, the door flew open, and Sarah landed on her side on the ground. She didn't complain (she had learned long ago not to complain), but got up, dusted her shirt and pants off, and then began to run down one of the long walkways that composed the mazes of the tunnel.

"I remember this," Sarah told herself as she leaped over a fallen branch. "I couldn't stand this place. There was that little worm that helped me see a way to get to the castle. I wonder where he is?"

Sarah ran several minutes before she slid to a stop and then moved over to one of the walls. She put her hands on it and began to feel along the cracked rock surfaces, searching for a hidden doorway. She fell, for the second time since she entered the Underground, when her hands pushed against empty air. Sarah yelped as she hit the ground, ripping up the palms of her hands as she did so.

"Oh," she groaned, holding her hands up to her face and wincing as the dirt stung her cuts.

She pushed herself off the ground and then continued walking. She found herself on the tile floors where she had originally used her lipstick to point the way. She had no lipstick on her now, and even if she had, someone would have changed her marks again, so Sarah pressed on without stopping. She came to the post with the several hands pointing in different directions, and, trying to remember where she had gone the first time, passed them.

It must be admitted that Sarah was a bit concerned when she arrived at the doors where Ralph and Alph, the two upside down and right side up creatures, had once been and found that no one was there.

"This is odd," she told herself, looking at the vacant doorways. "Why is no one here? Why am I all alone?"

She looked at the doors carefully; trying to remember which one she had originally taken. Without Ralph and Alph, she couldn't remember a thing, and so she walked over to one of the doors and opened it. Unfortunately, this was the door that led to "certain death," and as soon as Sarah stepped through it, she found herself plummeting, head over heels, down into the dark.

"Help!" She screamed, reaching out and trying to grab hold of something to help her.

There were no Helping Hands this time, and so Sarah continued on falling, terrified of what was waiting for her at the end. She prayed fervently, as she fell rapidly through the air, and then gasped as she landed on something soft and downy. She had been plunging so quickly through the air that the soft object cushioned her fall but didn't stop her from rolling. She rolled off the downy material and then slid onto a muddy slide. Down she went, slipping helplessly down a mud-covered slide of sorts.

A very unpleasant smell infiltrated the muggy air and Sarah gasped sharply.

"Oh no! Not the Bog of Eternal Stench!"

She began to move her hands feverishly, trying to find something to grab hold of to stop her reckless plight. Her body slid through a large hole, and Sarah glanced down to see great woods opening several feet below her, the Bog visible over a great wall that stood next to it.

"Help!" Sarah screamed, hands reaching out for anything, _anything_ to grab onto.

She couldn't find a thing, and before she knew what hit her, she landed in a huge pile of moldy leaves. The leaves helped break her fall, but it was still very painful, and Sarah gasped in agony as she crashed into the pile.

Slowly, aching with every move, Sarah sat up and looked around.

She was in the woods where Ludo had disappeared and those frightening fire creatures had tormented her.

"That must by why this leads to certain death," she said, standing up carefully. "I suppose those odd creatures eventually end up pulling your head off."

She stepped forward, her body aching and her clothes smelling of rotten leaves. She then began to walk through the mysterious woods, tense and alert. She half expected the Fireys to come leaping out at her, but again, there was absolutely no one there. The woods were deserted.

It was cold, and Sarah shivered as she climbed over mossy logs and across slimy boulders. Night was falling, casting its shadows across the woods. Some of the shadows were frightening to look at, but Sarah pressed on. She knew there was a wall nearby that led to the Bog, and she was determined to get there before nightfall.

Thoughts of discouragement constantly flooded Sarah's mind, and they were difficult to push away. Was Jareth really worth all this? After all, he _had_ stolen her baby brother, had come uninvited to her house, and he wasn't offering a drop of assistance at the moment. He did have that arrogant air of his. Perhaps this was another game on his part.

"No," Sarah told herself as she stopped in front of the wall. "I love him, and I'm going to find him before it's too late."

She grabbed hold of a rope that was leaning against the wall, the same rope Hoggle had thrown to her many long years before. There was green material growing on the rope, and it was very slimy to the touch, but Sarah braced herself and held the rope tightly. She then began to climb, hand over hand, up the rope, terrified that at any moment it would snap.

The rope never bent or buckled, and Sarah pulled herself onto the top of the wall and then gazed about her. As before, she couldn't see the Bog from the wall, but she knew there was a way to get there, and unpleasant as the Bog may have been, that's how she had gotten to the castle in the first place, so she may as well try that route again.

It was dark out by the time Sarah climbed down a staircase and found herself standing in front of the putrid Bog. The smell was just as overwhelming as it had been before, but Sarah stepped away from the stairs and tried to find a way across. She held her nose and tried hard not to breathe through it. She wondered if breathing through her mouth would make her whole throat burn from the toxic smell.

It was very difficult to find any crossing during the daytime, but at night, it was nearly impossible. There was no bridge, Sarah found to her dismay, and so she hunted for the rocks Ludo had called long ago. It took her an hour, but she found the path of boulders across the Bog.

Rain had made the boulders slippery and dangerous, but Sarah knew she had to cross them. Carefully, she placed her foot on the first boulder and then put the rest of her body on it. Very slowly, one long step at a time, she made her way across the boulders. They squeaked and groaned just as they had before, but Sarah ignored the sounds and watched her footing carefully.

Once she slipped and nearly fell into the Bog, but she regained her balance, and breathing heavily, continued moving across the Bog.

Her relief was indescribable when she stepped off the boulders and was back on solid ground.

"There. That wasn't too bad," she told herself with a weak chuckle. "Now if only I could see…"

An eerie light suddenly flooded the path before her, and Sarah gasped with surprise.

"How did that happen?" she asked, and then glanced down.

There, hanging about her neck, was Jareth's necklace. The crystal dewdrop was glowing radiantly, emitting a sharp blue light. Sarah took the charm in her hand, tears of gratefulness filling her eyes, and then raised the charm to her lips. She kissed it gently, and then looked up at the night sky.

"Thank you, Jareth."

Sarah began to journey through the woods, remembering how Hoggle had given her the enchanted peach in this same area. Music drifted through the air, as though reminding her of that wonderful dream she had once had, and Sarah followed the music.

She stopped short when she saw a peach, glowing radiantly in the light from the necklace, positioned snuggly between two limbs of a tree.

"I don't think so," Sarah frowned, folding her arms across her chest. "Who knows what another dream would do to me?"

The peach began to turn, much like one of Jareth's crystals, and Sarah stepped up to it and touched it. The skin was soft, the smell was sweet, and Sarah was hungry.

"Last time I was hungry here, it could have killed me," Sarah said, picking the peach up and looking at it carefully. "Who knows what kind of dream I could have now?"

She thought back to the dance of so long ago, how odd she had felt and how frightened she had been by all the evil looks that were cast her way. She shuddered when she recalled how the men had stared at her, how the women had laughed at her as she had danced with Jareth.

But she had been a child then. She was a full-grown woman now, and by George, she wasn't going to let the stares of some strange creatures stop her from finding Jareth!

Without another thought, Sarah bit into the peach. Again, everything began to look as though it was dancing. The trees waved in unison, and Sarah found herself falling back, collapsing against the trunk of a mossy tree.

A bubble appeared in front of her, and shakily, Sarah reached forth her hand and touched it.

The next thing she knew, she was standing inside a ballroom.

"Not again," Sarah whispered to herself.

She was in the very same ballroom she had been in before, except now, the lighting was dim, giving the room an eerie glow. Men and women danced before her, all of them dressed in dark colors this time, and again, their eyes came to rest on Sarah. The women's mouths turned up in smirks, the men's eyes danced with passion and longing, and Sarah was left feeling very uncomfortable, very unsafe.

Music was playing, and Sarah took a deep breath.

_"I know he's in here, else I wouldn't be," _she thought. _"But please, please don't let me stand out like a sore thumb like I did last time!"_

She ventured to look down at her dress and found, to her delight, that instead of the white ball gown of so long ago, her dress was dark green, blending in more with the dancers. It was made of silk, and the sleeves rested off of Sarah's shoulders, making her feel like she fit in to the scenario a bit better. There was tiny white glitter covering the entire dress, and had Sarah had a good look at herself, she would have seen that tiny green glitter hovered about her eyes, making her face shimmer. Her hair was pulled back with several strands of glittering green diamonds, making her look like a princess.

Sarah moved through the crowds, once again looking for the Goblin King. She tried to ignore the stares of the frightening people that surrounded her, but she couldn't help but gasp and nearly shout as men crowded about her, pulling at her and whispering awful things to her.

She wasn't as innocent as she had been in her younger years, for she had seen a great deal of what the world was like and what it could do, but Sarah had never been spoken to in such a blunt, suggestive manner, and she blushed with shame and embarrassment as the men continued to harass her. They made her feel dirty, impure and defiled.

"Please," she said, pushing one of them away. "Leave me alone."

The women giggled at her, and Sarah found her eyes averting to the floor.

"This is so embarrassing," she whispered, pushing her way through the dancers.

Everyone was dancing the same way they had before. They were slowly waltzing, drooling all over each other at the same time and disappearing in and out of different rooms. Sarah couldn't understand why she had been brought here again. What was the point of such a morbid dance? Why was her innocence being challenged?

Sarah braced herself and looked up again, the music becoming louder as she did so. She weaved in and out of men and women, searching for Jareth. She pushed past everyone, trying fervently to find the man that she longed so much to see. Despair gripped her heart when, after ten minutes, she couldn't find him.

The music changed, and Sarah turned her head to the side.

There he was.

He was gorgeous, in every sense of the word, and without Sarah realizing it, her eyes widened and her mouth opened slightly as it had thirteen years ago. Perhaps that's what the men and women around her found so funny. A man with hidden motives, which only his companions ever seemed to know about, constantly amazed her.

He was dressed in his black suit again, with the blue in his hair and the glitter covering his face. Four or five women, all inappropriately dressed, were crowding around him, touching him, goggling over him, and completely ignoring Sarah. They snickered at Sarah and flirted even more with the Goblin King.

Jareth's eyes bore into Sarah's, and once again, he stepped back into the midst of his admiring throng and disappeared.

"Not this game again," Sarah breathed and then began to move through the pushing crowds.

Three times she saw him, hiding behind a fan, waltzing amongst the people, and moving his face closer to a woman's. She didn't give up. She had played this game before, and she was set on playing it again.

After several minutes of chase, Sarah saw Jareth standing still amongst several more women, all of them smiling up at him sweetly, begging him for his attention. He turned his head and looked at Sarah, his face serious and hard.

"Last time you came to me," Sarah whispered. "I suppose it's my time to come to you."

She stepped away from the crowds and moved gracefully towards Jareth, never lowering her eyes. She moved, with some difficulty, through the women who were lined up to see their king, and then stopped before him. To the dismay and utter amazement of Jareth's admirers, Sarah stepped right up to him, her body pressing firmly against his, and then took his hands. She didn't speak a word as she placed one of his hands around her waist and occupied his other hand with her own.

"I've found you," she whispered, gulping back her nervousness as he looked down at her and they began to dance. "I don't know that the game is over yet, but I'm not going to lose you, Jareth."

He began to sing, as he had at the ball of so long ago, weaving her gracefully in and out of the crowd.

"Love me, love me, love me, love me,

Say you do.

Let me fly away with you.

For my love is like the wind,

And wild is the wind.

Wild is the wind."

He tipped Sarah back gently and then pulled her up again and twirled with her.

"You touch me, I hear the sound of mandolins.

You kiss me.

With your kiss my life begins.

You're spring to me, all things to me.

Don't you know you're life itself?"

Sarah was, once again, entranced. She let him move her freely; let him guide her down a flight of stairs and into the midst of the dancers once more. She gazed at him with heavy eyes, and her breathing quickened.

"Like the leaf clings to the tree,

Oh, my darling, cling to me.

For we're like creatures of the wind,

And wild is the wind."

His voice began to fade as the eerie song finished, and Sarah felt him slowing down.

"Jareth," she whispered, running the fingertips of her right hand down his cheek, "have I found you? Is this where I'm supposed to be?"

His facial expression never changed as he came to a stop, and Sarah understood that this was all part of the test. This was a trick of the Labyrinth, just as it had been before. Jareth wasn't hers yet. There was still much to be accomplished.

She turned her head and looked for a clock, trying to find how much time the Underground had stolen from her, and after not finding one; she turned her attention back to Jareth. He leaned his face forward, and she remembered a point in time when he had done this before. He had been trying to kiss her, but everyone had gawked and stared at her so awkwardly, that Sarah had refused. It was afterwards Jareth told her the kiss was meant to be a trap, forcing her to stay in the Labyrinth forever.

But this was a different situation, and Sarah thought that perhaps this kiss was meant to be part of her long test.

"Go ahead," she whispered, catching sight of everyone staring at her.

Once again, the music and dancing stopped and all eyes turned to watch Sarah. Sarah ignored the looks and gazed up into Jareth's eyes, her eyes pleading with him.

"We've been through this before," she said quietly. "I know what you want. Take it. It's yours."

Jareth brought his nose to hers and then stopped moving entirely, like he was waiting. Unable to bear the pressure, Sarah trembled and reached up, placing her hands behind his neck, and then raised her mouth to his. Just as her lips touched his own, a clock chimed, and the room began to spin.

Sarah felt herself falling, and she gazed about her, watching, as the ballroom became a catastrophic scene. People were flying all over the place, chandeliers were swaying violently, and Jareth had disappeared.

The sensation of falling stopped, and Sarah found herself lying on a familiar trash heap.

**"Wild is the Wind" by David Bowie**


	21. To the Castle Beyond the Goblin City

**Hello everyone! Here's the next chapter! I hope you're all enjoying the story so far! Enjoy, and let me know what you think!**

**Chapter Twenty-One: To the Castle Beyond the Goblin City**

"Argh!" Sarah sighed as she lifted herself off the trash heap, once again dressed in her poet shirt and pants. "This is all so confusing! I thought the Labyrinth was a beautiful place, full of meadows and a gleaming white castle, but I'm back where I was before! I don't even know what time it is!"

She stumbled over a pile of garbage, moving towards the gates to the Goblin City in the distance.

There were hundreds of trash heaps surrounding her, and Sarah tiredly climbed over all the ones that were in her way, taking caution not to land on some unsuspecting garbage-carrying person. That old lady had been _way_ too frightening the last time she was in the Labyrinth.

Sarah's legs were tired, and she was confused as she climbed over pile after pile of junk. It was dark, and she tripped and fell several times, rolling down the piles of rubbish and getting numerous scrapes on her fair skin. Every time she fell, she got back up and continued walking.

By the time Sarah reached the gates to the Goblin City, she was a complete mess. Her long hair was knotted and dirty, scrapes and dirt lined her body, her pants were ripped, and her shirt was loose and wrinkled. She was exhausted, and she put her hands tiredly against one of the gates and pushed it in weakly. She stumbled into the city, finding that it, as well as every other place, was vacant.

The poor heroine of "The Labyrinth" was in no state to travel as she stumbled through the empty city. Her body ached with every step, and she was almost asleep. The evening shadows played tricks on her, dancing against the houses and looking very much like they wanted to reach out and grab her.

Sarah didn't care. As far as she was concerned, her time was up, and she had lost Jareth. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she walked wearily from one street to another.

She was hardly awake when she reached the stairs leading up to the castle. She took one step and then collapsed, her long hair draping about her arms and back. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she closed her eyes, trying to relieve some of the pain from her body.

"I can't do it!" she sobbed, body trembling from her crying. "I've tried, and I just can't! I'm only human! I'm just a little girl again, trapped in a world that I can't get out of! I've lost this time! You won, Labyrinth! You won!"

Lyrics from a song she had recently heard played through her mind, taunting her and mocking her failure.

"But down in the Underground, you'll find someone true.

Down, in the Underground, a land serene, of crystal blue.

It's only forever, not long at all…

Lost and lonely.

That's Underground…Underground!"

"Oh stop it!" Sarah hissed, pounding her fist on the step. "It is not a land serene of crystal blue! Whoever thought of that ridiculous song had no idea what they were talking about!"

She turned over onto her back and gazed up at the night sky. Clouds covered the sky, hiding the moon from view. It was gloomy and dark, matching Sarah's attitude.

Sarah thought back on all the trouble she had been through in her life. First there had been the loss of her birthmother. The young woman had been reckless and had left Sarah and her father to themselves many, many years ago. Sarah had always tried to believe she would come back. She never did.

Then there was Karen, who had originally been impossible to get along with, but once Sarah realized that not everything in life was fair and she had submitted herself, her stepmother had turned out to be quite a loving person.

Sarah's teenage years had been difficult. She had never been much of a social butterfly, making her high school years uncomfortable and troublesome. Boys had constantly shown interest in her, occasionally mocking her for keeping to herself and staying out of trouble. Sarah had never cared for any of them. They were rude, brash, and wild. She had always preferred men who behaved like gentlemen, not wild animals.

The social work had been hard, very hard. Sarah had barely made it through college, and social work was a great burden. She had loved all the children she worked with, and with determination, had always somehow managed to make things right.

What was it that had kept her going, had made her persevere through so many long, troublesome years? There was only one answer, and upon admitting it to herself, Sarah sat up and her eyes darkened.

"Jareth. Jareth got me through everything," she said, standing up slowly and facing the castle doors. "He made me believe that there was something beautiful about life, something worth going through the adventures for. There isn't a reason in the world why I should give up on him when he never, _never_ gave up on me. Even now, he's probably watching and waiting, pleading with those eyes of his for me not to give up. I won't give up. I've come too far!"

She stamped her foot on the step and then shouted, gazing up at the sky as though someone could actually hear her.

"You hear me? I've come too far! I'm not giving up now! Through dangers untold and hardships unnumbered I've fought my way here to the castle beyond the Goblin City, and I am _not_ going to surrender myself now!"

With firm steps and a set jaw, Sarah marched up the steps and flung the doors of the castle open. She could feel that the whole world was watching her, waiting to see if she would keep her resolution or not.

Sarah stopped for a moment, held her head high, straightened her shoulders, and walked into the castle.

The doors immediately slammed shut behind her, and Sarah jumped. She gazed about the room she was in, a dark room with great cloisters and hard tile floors. The only light in the room was coming from one large open window at the far end of the great entrance room. There were stairs beneath the window, and Sarah walked over to them, looking about cautiously. She then climbed up the staircase and stepped into the throne room.

There was something disturbing about how the room was completely empty. There were several candles glowing, making the room seem as though it had come right out of a horror movie. The throne, curved and wicked looking in the light, made Sarah shutter.

Sarah walked boldly forward, trembling when she heard her own footsteps echoing throughout the empty room. She stepped over to the throne and placed her hands gently on the cape that was thrown over it. The cape was warm, and a light began to shine in Sarah's eyes.

"He's here," she whispered, looking up at the ceiling and turning in a circle to observe the whole room more carefully. "Goblin King," she spoke, her voice echoing throughout the room. "I know you are here!"

There was no answer, and Sarah let out a long sigh.

"Really, this game isn't fair," she spoke aloud. "I have had no one to help me, no one to show me what I'm supposed to do. I've made it all the way back to the castle, and yet what I am supposed to do is unclear. Would you please show me what to do?"

A clinking sound became audible, moving towards her from a flight of stairs. The sound was frightening in the stillness of the room, and Sarah stepped back behind the throne for more security.

A crystal orb dropped from an adjoining staircase and rolled across the floor towards the throne. Sarah knelt down and then looked into it without touching it. She couldn't see anything at first, but then she noticed that all across the floor was a small trail, illuminated and moving towards the stairs that the orb had come from. Sarah carefully picked the orb up and then yelped when it transformed into a candle, its tiny flame illuminating the whole room.

Sarah stood up and then began to follow the trail, warily stepping on the glowing line and always gazing ahead. She stepped up onto the stairs from whence the orb had come, and then slowly climbed the stairs.

When Sarah reached the top, she saw a lone door, and she opened it cautiously and stuck her head inside. She couldn't see anything, and so she stepped into the room and again, the door slammed shut behind her. Sarah turned quickly to see the door close, and then she turned back and squinted to see into the darkness.

There were stairs and doorways, hundreds of them, stretched throughout the large room.

"This room again," Sarah said quietly and then stepped forward. "Well, I don't know what I'm supposed to find, but I'll start looking."

Sarah began to walk, up, down, left, right, back ways, front ways, sideways, long ways, and short ways. Her head began to hurt as she traveled through the maze of doors and stairs, and she began to sing quietly, trying to ease the pressure in her head.

"How you've turned my world you precious thing.

You starve and near exhaust me.

Everything I've done, I've done for you.

I move the stars for no one.

You've run so long, you've run so far.

Your eyes can be so cruel, just as I can be so cruel…"

The candle began to vibrate, and Sarah gasped as it violently shook her hand. It turned back into an orb and then, without any warning whatsoever, dropped out of Sarah's hand and fell, possibly hundreds of feet, through the empty air.

It glowed as it fell, and Sarah had the sickening feeling that she was supposed to follow it.

"Oh no," she laughed nervously, shaking her head. "I've done this before. I thought for sure I was going to die. Forget it!"

Somewhere, a clock struck loudly, and Sarah jumped. She listened as it began to chime, loudly and slowly.

_One…two…three…four…five…six…seven…_

Sweat streamed down Sarah's forehead as she contemplated what the clock was saying. She had a matter of seconds before she lost.

"But I'm so scared," she whispered, looking over the edge of the stairs she was on.

_Ten…eleven…_

Sarah squeezed her eyes shut tightly, bit her lip, and then jumped off the edge.

Words, familiar sayings from old friends, began to fill Sarah's mind as she fell, arms and legs flailing wildly in the air.

"You have thirteen hours in which to solve the Labyrinth…"

"_You gets in there."_

"_That shows how much you know."_

"_Oh, there are plenty of openings, you just ain't seeing them!"_

"_Don't go that way! Never go that way!"_

"_So Sarah, what do you think of my Labyrinth?"_

"_Not everything is as it seems in this place."_

"_There's such a sad love, deep in your eyes…"_

"_Look at what I'm offering you, your dreams…"_

"_And should you need us…"_

"_You have no power over me! You have no power over me!"_

Sarah opened her eyes and found that she was once again on solid ground. She was standing on cracked bricks in the middle of nowhere. A purple, red and orange sky surrounded her, and in the sky were great masses of stone and brick, parts of some ancient ruin, floating about effortlessly.

A loud tick from a clock caused Sarah to turn her head, and she saw it, the old clock of her dreams with thirteen numbers instead of twelve, floating before her. Both hands were pointing to a large thirteen, and Sarah gasped.

"No! I'm not too late! I made it here, wherever here is! Don't let me be too late! Please! I've fought so hard!"

She collapsed on her knees in front of the clock, tears spilling down her dirty cheeks.

"I've fought so long and hard to find Jareth! Don't let this be the end! I will never be able to dream again if this is where my battle ends! Oh please, Labyrinth, don't destroy me! Don't dash my hopes in two!"

She started sobbing and lay down on the floor, miserable beyond description.

This couldn't be the end of her journey, could it? Hadn't she worked too hard to get here? It would be so unfair if she lost! Even worse than that, she would never be able to see Jareth again, and that was unbearable.

"Oh Jareth," Sarah sniffed. "I tried. I really did. I love you, Jareth. Don't leave me! Don't let me be forced away from you! I couldn't bear it! You've always been there for me! If I lose you I lose everything!"


	22. Never Let Me Go

**All right, the chapter you've much been anticipating! Please let me know what you think, and enjoy!**

"**You'll have to find your way into the part. And when you've found your way in, stay in your dream, Sarah. Believe me. If you want to be truly free, wholly yourself – you do want that, don't you? Then you will find what you want only as long as you stay in your dream. Once abandon it, and you are at the mercy of other people's dreams. They will make of you what they want you to be. Forget them, Sarah. Trust to your dream. Trust to me." – Jareth in "The Labyrinth" novel**

**Chapter Twenty-two: Never Let Me Go**

As Sarah sobbed, two things that are worthy of attention should be noted. First was this… The clock stopped. Right then and there, with both the minute and hour hands pointing to the thirteen, it simply ceased to tick.

The second was Sarah's appearance. As she lay on the ground weeping, a gentle mist encircled her. Her dirty, torn clothes were exchanged for a beautiful soft white gown. Her long hair, knotted and filthy, became wavy and smooth again. Her skin, torn and cut, healed, and all dirt vanished, leaving in its place a lovely, soft shimmer.

"Oh Jareth!" Sarah cried, trying to dig her nails into the brick ground. "I'm so sorry…so sorry. I love you! I love you, Goblin King of all my dreams! Please, please don't let me lose you!"

She stopped crying for a moment; noticing immediately that the clock was no longer making any noise. She raised her head, her long hair flowing over her bare shoulders as she did so, and through blurry eyes, she saw that the clock had come to a standstill. She turned her head and looked to a large brick archway that stood a short distance away. It was then that she saw something that made her heart flutter and her mouth open in awe.

Jareth was standing there, his eyes dark and possessive, watching her quietly. He stepped forward, and his white cloak billowed out behind him in the breeze. He was dressed entirely in white, and he had never looked more powerful, never looked more beautiful.

"Jareth," Sarah whispered, slowly sitting up. "Jareth…"

He stopped before her and then reached down and brought a white-gloved hand to her chin. One of her tears fell on his hand as he tilted her face up to look at him.

"Jareth, please don't make me leave! Tell me I'm not too late!" Sarah gasped, grabbing his hand with both of hers and holding it tightly.

"You found me," he said quietly, and his voice was strange to her ears.

"Jareth," she panicked, her throat dry and more tears billowing down her cheeks. "Jareth, what is wrong? Tell me I'm not too late! Oh, don't let me lose you! Please, please, Goblin King! I love you! I need you! Oh, Jareth, oh, how I love you!"

She pressed her lips against his hand, expressing all of her fears and love in the movement of her mouth against his palm.

He pulled her gently to her feet, moving his face so that it was close to hers.

It was then that she saw it. There, in his dark brown and light blue eyes, were tears. One of them trickled down his long cheek, and Sarah's eyes widened with fear.

"Goblin King, don't cry! Please, don't tell me it's over!" She exclaimed and then moved her lips to his tear.

She kissed the tear, her own tears streaming freely down her face as she did so. She let her mouth linger on Jareth's cheek, and then kissed him again and again, her lips moving firmly against his skin.

"Jareth, don't tell me it's over!" she pleaded, keeping her mouth against his skin and moving her body so that it was pressed firmly against his. "Oh my king, free me from this terror! Oh, what if this is all some terrible dream? What if you aren't really here? Help me, Jareth, I beg you!"

"Sarah," he whispered, pulling his face away from her. "Sarah…"

"Why do you weep?" Sarah cried, watching as more tears made their way down the Goblin King's cheeks. "Oh Jareth, if I've lost you…"

He placed two fingers delicately on her lips, then moved his face inches away from hers. His eyes bore into hers, those eyes that were wet with tears.

"Just fear me and love me," he said quietly, "and do as I say, and I…I will be your slave."

Sarah watched as he pulled his hand away from hers and held it up to her face. He twisted his wrist slightly, and a crystal appeared.

"Look…look what I offer you. It will show you your dreams."

Sarah looked at the crystal ball dancing effortlessly in his hand and then looked into his eyes again.

"You were afraid to lose me, afraid that I wouldn't make it," she breathed as she realized why tears were streaming down his serious face. "I made it, I just barely made it, didn't I?"

"I offer you your dreams," Jareth said, his voice still soft but becoming firmer. "Just let me rule you, and you can have _everything_."

"I don't want everything," Sarah whispered, her heart beating wildly within her and tears of joy dripping down her cheeks.

She had made it. She had again defeated the Labyrinth, and now the Goblin King was offering himself to her. The first time he had offered himself, she had refused him coldly, not understanding what it was he was trying to give her. He hadn't been trying to just give her himself physically, but had been offering his love, the greatest gift he possessed.

"Jareth," she said gently, looking him fully in the face. "I only want you."

She reached out her hand and grabbed hold of the crystal. Instantly, it exploded with light and the scenery changed. The ugly place, the threshold of the Underground, disappeared and was replaced by a huge balcony overlooking the whole of the true Labyrinth, the beautiful meadows and lovely town full of gorgeous homes. The brick archway that Jareth had appeared beneath turned into a balcony railing, full of roses and vines. It was still night, but now every star was showing, beaming down on Sarah.

Sarah trembled as she looked into Jareth's eyes again.

"Everything I've done," she said breathlessly, "I've done for you. Jareth, never leave me. Never let me go."

His eyes brightened, and Sarah gasped as he moved one hand to the back of her neck and the other to her lower back. He pulled her against him, their bodies nearly colliding against each other, and then lowered his lips to her own. He growled as he kissed her, his mouth moving passionately against hers, his fingers fervently stroking the back of her head, weaving through her hair.

"Jareth!" Sarah cried out as he kissed her, tilting her head back so she could get some air. "Jareth…my Jareth!" she exclaimed, her fingers clinging to his hair as he viciously attacked her jaw with his lips.

He was relentless. He had almost lost her and now she was his. She was his to love, his to admire and adore. She was his queen, the woman of his heart, the love of his life, and he had no trouble demonstrating his pleasure in that.

His mouth moved from her jaw to the area below her ear, to her closed eyes to her nose. Sarah didn't try to match his fervor, for he was carrying her away, far away to a place she had only dreamed about but never been to.

She could scarcely breathe, could hardly think as his lips moved longingly, firmly against her skin. Trembles quaked through her body as he moved his hands to behind her back, cradling her as she leaned back for air. She was exhilarated, was overwhelmed with his love and power, with the emotions that coursed so unmercifully through her body. He was here and he was hers. She wanted to give him her all, wanted to give everything she possessed, every feeling, every touch, every thought to him, but there was one question that didn't permit her to feel entirely comfortable with the situation, and so timidly, she took a deep breath and then spoke.

"Jareth," she choked, squeezing her eyes shut tightly as he refused to break his hold on her. "Are we… are we married now?"

"Yes. You gave yourself wholly to me; I gave myself wholly to you. The Labyrinth was witness. You are my wife, you sweet, precious thing…" Jareth murmured against her flesh. "I love you, my darling," he murmured as he moved his face to hers again. "Ever and always mine, my own queen, my dearest Sarah."

He became lost again as he pressed his lips against the corner of her mouth and steadfastly kissed her soft skin.

Sarah smiled as he nuzzled her face with his own.

"You're so possessive," she laughed lightly as he rubbed her lower back and held her to him. "I'm not going anywhere, Goblin King. We have a whole lifetime to spend together."

"Had you only known how long I've waited for this moment," Jareth murmured, bringing his mouth to her ear. "I've waited far too long to have you as my own."

Sarah gasped sharply as he brought his mouth crashing against hers, taking her very breath away. She grabbed hold of his shirt, holding him tightly as he moved his lips aggressively against hers and she responded, trying to match his passion with her own. She felt dizzy as she released her carefully guarded emotions, opening her heart fully to him, holding back nothing. There was no fear now of doing the wrong thing, no concern that her emotions were being wrongly directed, were being given too soon.

Sarah didn't want the moment to end, but she was exhausted. She had spent thirteen hours running, falling and traveling through an immense maze, and she was tired. Her emotions had been in turmoil for so many hours, had been heightened to outstanding heights so many times, and now her body was weary and she was thoroughly worn out.

"Jareth," she whispered, wrapping her arms around him. "You know how much I want to continue this, but…"

"But?" he asked, smiling as he rested his forehead on hers.

"I'm so tired."

Jareth looked down at her face, noticing that her eyes were half-closed.

"My darling, you've had a most exhausting day, and I have to be selfish and keep you awake longer than you can bear," he said, gently moving several strands of hair out of her face.

"Not selfish," Sarah said quietly, closing her eyes and leaning her head against his chest. "I would stay awake if I could, but I'm too tired."

Jareth scooped her up into his arms and began to carry her into the castle, his prized possession, his queen. She wrapped her arms around his neck and nuzzled her face into his shoulder.

"I love you, Jareth," she whispered as he carried her into an immense bedroom and placed her carefully on a great bed.

"And I love you," he said gently, pulling his arms away from her and reaching down for the blankets.

He pulled the blankets gently over his love's body, then moved over to her head and kissed her gently on her lips. Sarah let out a sigh, then turned her head and cuddled up against her pillow and blankets.

"Through dangers untold and hardships unnumbered," she whispered as Jareth stepped away from her. "I have fought my way back to the man I love. I love you, so, so much, Jareth…"

"My dear, precious Sarah," Jareth whispered as she drifted into sleep. "How long I've longed for you to be here with me, to be my queen, and now I finally have you."

He waved his hand and was instantly changed into his nightclothes, black breeches and a white poet shirt. He crawled into bed next to his new wife and then stroked her cheek gently with his fingers. It delighted him, that she was here with him, flesh and blood, and she wanted to be. It flattered him that she had struggled for so long to find him and had never given up.

"And now you are here," he breathed, moving closer to her and wrapping his arm possessively around her.

Sarah sighed in her sleep and cuddled up closer to him, resting her hands on his chest and her head in the nook of his shoulder. She smiled slightly, and Jareth kissed her gently on her forehead.

"Good night, my love."


	23. Fulfillment of a Dream

**Hello everyone! I'm back, after a long interlude! Thank you so much to everyone who's been reviewing! You are sooo encouraging! There's one more chapter after this! Enjoy, and let me know what you think!**

"**You know you're in love when you can't fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams." – Dr. Seuss**

**Chapter Twenty-three: Fulfillment of a Dream**

Sarah was warm and more comfortable than she had been in a long time. A gentle breeze rustled her hair, and she took in a deep breath. As her chest heaved, she felt pressure on her body, and her eyes fluttered open. She glanced down to see Jareth's head resting on her chest, his golden hair resting against her neck. His arms were wrapped securely around her stomach, his body pressed firmly against hers.

Sarah smiled softly and pulled her hands out from beneath her pillow. She moved them to Jareth's hair and gently stroked his silky strands. He made a humming sound in his throat and burrowed his face deeper into the silky material of her gown. Sarah snaked her hands to his shoulders and then began to rub them, enjoying the feel of his muscles beneath her fingers. She was startled when he turned his head and kissed the underside of her wrist.

"Are you comfortable, Jareth?" Sarah asked, bending her head and kissing his hair.

"Was I like this all night?" he murmured, opening his eyes slowly.

"I don't know. I had the best sleep I've had in awhile," Sarah smiled, watching him as he moved his head off of her and then looked up into her face.

"You look refreshed," he said, blinking the sleep out of his eyes.

"I'm sorry I was so tired last night, but I had just run your Labyrinth again, and…"

"Shh," Jareth said, shaking his head and placing a finger on her lips. "I know what you went through, love. The important thing is that you found me. Your people are going to want to see their new queen today."

"We mustn't keep them waiting then," Sarah said, and then began to move back, trying to slide her body out from beneath him.

Jareth smirked mischievously and moved his body so that she was trapped in his hold, unable to move.

"Jareth!" Sarah laughed, stopping her struggling and looking up into his face as he leaned over her. "Let me up!"

"Give me a good reason why I should. Convince me, darling."

"Well, you said the people want to see me, and if I'm trapped in my room all day they are never going to be able to…" Sarah said and then squealed when he took hold of her arms and lowered his mouth to her jaw. "Jareth! You aren't giving me a chance to persuade you!"

"Mmm… Keep trying, darling," he murmured against her skin.

"How can I convince you to let me up?"

Jareth smiled, his mouth against her cheek, and then shook his head slightly.

"I don't think there's any way you can persuade me, Sarah."

Sarah couldn't help but laugh as she looked into his eyes and saw the mischievous light that was glimmering in them.

"You just love games, don't you?" she smiled.

"I love my queen," he said, his hair brushing against her cheeks as he raised himself up a bit. "I'm giving you a fair chance. Come, come now. Why should I let you out of my hold? Give me a good reason." He moved his fingertips gently down her cheek, a small smile on his lips as he relished the feel of her soft skin beneath his fingers.

Sarah looked up into his eyes. He was so handsome, so charming, and he was hers, all hers. There weren't too many words that could describe how exactly Sarah felt at that moment, trapped in the arms of her husband, in the hold of the man she loved more than life itself. She wanted to spend more time with him, here and now, but if the people of the Labyrinth were expecting to see their queen, then it would be embarrassing for her to linger longer than was necessary in this comfortable position.

Her eyes drifted to Jareth's lips, hovering with tremendous patience only a few inches above hers. How to get him to release her and yet show him how much she longed to be with him? The answer couldn't be too difficult, and Sarah's eyes began to shine as she contemplated how she could bargain with the Goblin King.

"What are you thinking, little girl?" Jareth asked, an eyebrow cocked as he saw his Sarah's eyes brightening.

"I think I have just the right way to get you off me," she said slowly, letting her voice soften.

"I give you fair warning. Wishing me away won't work," he said, studying her eyes and trying to see what she was up to.

"I know," Sarah smiled softly, pulling one of her hands away from his and placing it on his cheek. "Why should I want to leave you, my king? After having struggled for so long to find you, I shouldn't have any want to leave."

"Flattery won't do it either," Jareth grinned, rubbing his face softly against her hand.

"How about a kiss in exchange for my freedom?" Sarah asked, closing her eyes and savoring the feel of her husband's cheek beneath her hand.

"You do strike a hard bargain," Jareth said, stroking his chin thoughtfully. "A kiss from a beautiful woman… Oh, very well."

Sarah moved her hands to his hair and then raised her body. She and Jareth both smiled as she pressed her cheek against his, moving her arms to wrap around his body.

"I love you, Jareth," she whispered into his ear, then pulled back just enough so that she could touch his lips with her own.

She thrilled him with her passion, for she didn't just give him a quick kiss. Her mouth lingered against his for several minutes, seeming as though she was reluctant to pull away from him, for indeed she was. This place in time, just the two of them, so close, so in love, was not a place she was willing to leave. She had waited so long to be here, trapped in the Goblin King's hold, helpless to escape, all worries and cares cast aside. Her blood ran hot through her body as she touched his lips again and again with her own, encouraging him to love her, to never release her. Her hands tightened their hold on his back, clinging to him as he deepened their kiss, claiming her lips fully as his own.

He closed his eyes as warmth flooded through his veins and his blood began to pulse wildly in his body. He had waited so long, so eternally long for a moment like this when he could love her fully and she would return his love. He had dreamed for years of having her so tightly in his hold, helpless in his grasp, trembling with, not fear, but passion. Now she was his and would never be anyone else's, and, while he had trapped her in his arms, she was trapping him in a web of emotion that was much more powerful than that, much deeper.

She didn't release her hold, but instead tightened it, and Jareth closed his eyes tightly, trying to shove aside his part of the deal to let her go if she kissed him. Didn't she know how maddening that agreement was, how insane with longing it made him for her to hold him so close and love him so deeply?

"Sarah," he murmured, loosening his hold on her and breathing rapidly as she kissed him again. "If I am to keep my part of the bargain…then…I have…to let you…go."

"It was a bad bargain," Sarah whispered against his lips and then moved her face reluctantly away from his.

Jareth moved away, and Sarah swung her legs over the edge of the bed.

She got off the bed and walked over to the curtains that were blowing gently in the breeze. Apparently Jareth had left the balcony doors open the previous night. Sarah pulled the curtains back gently and looked out, gasping with pleasure when she saw the Labyrinth in the daylight.

She hadn't noticed it before, but at the far end of the houses and meadows was an immense waterfall, pouring down from enormous green cliffs. The water flowed through the city, forming a lovely, rippling stream of pure, cool water.

Children were outside, running alongside the stream and laughing. They couldn't see Sarah, for the balcony was located a great height above the city, and only she could see them from her position.

"Mmm… They'll be so happy to see you," Jareth said, coming up from behind her and placing his hands on her shoulders.

"Will they?" Sarah asked, turning her head slightly as he kissed her cheek.

"Oh yes. They've been waiting a long time to meet you. They've read 'The Labyrinth' and have waited with eager anticipation to meet the girl that the Goblin King fell in love with."

"What about all of your female subjects?"

"They've known that my heart would never be theirs. It only belongs to one woman… always has, always will."

"And I was blessed to be that woman," Sarah smiled, looking up at him as he cupped her face in his hands.

Jareth smiled and then kissed her, softly as he had the first time she had let him touch her willingly.

"Your parents and Toby," he said, pulling his face away from hers. "Are going to want to know you made it back to me. Here."

A crystal appeared in his hand, and he held it up to her.

"Dream them into existence, Sarah."

Sarah nodded, and within seconds, the images of her parents and Toby appeared in the crystal.

"Sarah!" Toby exclaimed excitedly. "Did you make it? Are you in the Underground? Did you find Jareth?"

"I did!" Sarah laughed. "I found him, Toby."

She placed the crystal on a small table and then listened as her father spoke.

"Are you in the castle now?" he asked.

"Yes," she nodded. "I defeated the Labyrinth again and found my way back to Jareth. He's here, actually. Jareth, come here," she smiled up at the Goblin King.

Jareth stepped behind her, wrapped his arms around her, and rested his head on her shoulder.

"She found her way back to me," he said, kissing her affectionately on her temple. "We're married. She's the new queen of the Underground."

"Oh, how wonderful! I knew you could do it! I just knew it!" Karen exclaimed, clapping her hands together. "What are you going to do now? Does the Underground know about it yet? Congratulations!"

"In a matter of minutes, I will introduce Sarah to the Labyrinth as my new queen," Jareth said, moving some of Sarah's hair off her shoulder. "Tonight there will be a grand ball in honor of the marriage."

"Do you not have some kind of marriage ceremony there?" Robert asked.

"It isn't necessary," Jareth said, shaking his head. "When the king decides to marry, the whole Labyrinth is witness to his choice. The people know automatically what has taken place, for they can feel it."

"Do you have a ring, Sar?" Toby asked.

"No, she doesn't, but we'll fix that," Jareth said, and then held her hand up for him to look at.

Instantly, a ring appeared on her left ring finger, a beautiful gold band with diamonds cut intricately into it.

"I may not have a marriage certificate, or a document of any sort, but the people all saw Sarah find her way back to me, and all acknowledged that she would be my queen," Jareth said.

"That is enough evidence for me, I suppose," Robert smiled.

"I don't wish to cut this short, but I believe the people are gathering to see their queen, and I must present her to them. I will see to it that Sarah communicates with you as much as she pleases," Jareth said, picking up the crystal. "Until later…farewell."

The crystal disappeared, and Jareth turned to Sarah. He looked over her gown quickly, and then both his and her clothes changed.

Within seconds, he was dressed in a white shirt, black breeches, black boots, and his black armor and cape. Sarah stood next to him dressed in a flowing light blue and purple gown, her long hair pulled back in a beautiful braid, and a crown of tiny flowers and roses resting gently on her head.

"This dress is beautiful!" she breathed, twirling gaily and watching as the skirt swirled about her.

"Are you prepared to meet your people?" Jareth asked, offering her his arm.

"I am."

Sarah put her arm through his, and then both left his chambers. They walked down a long open hallway, Fae servants stopping and bowing to them as they did so. Jareth waved regally to them and then came to a stop outside a pair of intricately carved gold doors.

"My queen," he smiled down at Sarah as the doors opened. "Your people, the Labyrinth."

Bright sunlight flooded down on Sarah as she stepped out onto the open balcony, her arm still wrapped through Jareth's. She stepped to the balcony railing and then gazed down to see thousands of creatures, Fae, goblins, and an assortment of others, looking up at her expectantly. As soon as they saw her leaning against their king, they began to cheer. Hats flew into the air, children screamed and laughed joyously, and fairies flitted all about, their little voices adding music to the applause and exhilaration.

Sarah laughed as flower petals rained down on her and Jareth, and she looked up at him, her eyes dancing with pleasure.

"What would I have done if I had given up on dreaming? I never would have found you. Oh Jareth, how I love you," she smiled.

Jareth smiled in return and then, in the presence of his whole world, leaned down and kissed his queen.

Night came, and Sarah stood alone before her full-length mirror, gazing at the dress and adornment she had dreamed up for herself. Jareth was no longer in the room, having left early to see to it that the royal ballroom was perfect for his Sarah's arrival.

Sarah smiled gently as she studied her dress. It was white, with a tight bodice and a flowing, long skirt. The sleeves rested just slightly off her shoulders, and the train of the dress fell only a couple of feet behind her. She wore her hair down, loose and flowing with just a few tiny flowers lining her brunette locks. Her cheeks shimmered, and glitter danced about her dark eyes.

She felt like a queen. Jareth had given her his undivided attention all day, introducing her to important officials and, to Sarah's utmost delight, the human children who had wished themselves away to the Labyrinth. The children had been thrilled to meet her, having heard all about how she helped children like themselves in the Aboveground.

Once she felt ready, Sarah left the chambers and made her way down an intricate hallway. She then walked carefully down a flight of stairs, holding the railing with one hand, and holding the bottom of her dress up slightly with the other.

Jareth had told her where the ballroom was, and she found the doors that led into it. She took a deep breath, held her head high, and then opened one of the doors.

She stepped inside to see a familiar, yet somehow new, scene before her. As the door closed behind her, Sarah gazed throughout the room, noting the hundreds of men and women that twirled about together, dancing in a slow waltz, laughing and enjoying each other's company. She saw the chandeliers and candelabras all over the room, glowing radiantly with candlelight.

Memories came back, of a dance long ago, and Sarah smiled as she realized that unlike that ball of long ago, the men and women were not being rude or disgusting. They smiled at her pleasantly as they continued their dancing, and Sarah stepped into their midst, once again, as she had before, searching for the man who claimed her heart.

Sarah weaved in and out of the dancers, smiling this time as they brushed past her, her cheeks turning pink as she contemplated how she was searching for her love. She looked left and right, paying careful attention to each fan that covered a face, to each dancer that wouldn't look in her direction.

She stepped gracefully up a couple of stairs, and then watched as the crowd parted, showing Jareth standing only a few feet away from her.

"Goblin King," she whispered, watching as he took long strides towards her, always so elegant, always so majestic.

Jareth stopped in front of her, then placed her hands in their appropriate positions. They began to dance, moving slowly, in a dreamlike state, through the other people. They stared into each other's eyes, not even acknowledging the crowd around them, for all that existed was the Goblin King and the girl he loved.

"There is no clock this time," Jareth smiled, moving his cheek against hers.

"There's no reason to run," Sarah whispered in his ear. "We have all the time in the world, Goblin King."

"We have forever."

"It's only forever," Sarah smiled, looking up into his eyes again.

"Not long at all," he answered.

The Goblin King lowered his mouth to the lips of his queen and kissed her with a passion that no words can truly describe. They forgot that anyone else existed, forgot about how long it had taken them to find each other. They became lost in the dream, _their_ dream, and everything else became a colorful blur.


	24. Never too Old to Dream

**Here it is, the last chapter of the story. Wah! I'm so sad to see it end! Enjoy, and please let me know what you think!**

**Chapter Twenty-Four: Never too Old to Dream**

Years passed, and I simply must share what happened with some of the characters that had a major role in Jareth and Sarah's finding of each other.

First there's Peter Pan. How can we ever forget Peter Pan? The little boy who never grew up was quite distressed when he found that Wendy had grown up without him, so he set his attention on someone else, a young girl who believed in a Goblin King and his queen. This little girl was a noteworthy judge's daughter, Jessica Lee Carter McKinley. She believed in the magical boy, and the two of them had many an adventure, discovering new places in Neverland.

The little Brownie leader, Quizzle, and his men made an unexpected arrival in the Williams' kitchen while Karen was making a pot of coffee. At first the woman assumed that the tiny men were some new type of beetle, and she beat them wildly with a frying pan. The little men were only able to rescue themselves by taking several sips from her coffee pot, and then poor Karen had to dive for cover as the wild creatures wrecked havoc in her kitchen.

A dragon was spotted over the Empire State Building, and the Secretary of Defense was called to the scene. The poor man couldn't make heads or tails out of the astounding beast that hovered above New York City, but it turns out he didn't have to do anything, for the mysterious monster disappeared within minutes of his arrival.

Visitors to the Poconos _still_ claim that fairies can frequently be seen dancing through the falls, singing and brushing their hair.

Toby reread "The Labyrinth" over fifty times in the first year that his sister was gone. He also spent a great deal of time looking in his bathroom mirror, hoping that one of his eyes would turn brown. It would have been the coolest thing, as far as he was concerned.

Frankie, the lover of books, was adopted by the Williams family. He and Toby became best friends, and one afternoon, in their teenage years, they made an excursion to a certain restaurant near home and clambered amongst several bushes lining a small stream, searching for mermaids. To say that the boys weren't startled when the mermaids arrived would be a lie, for the mermaids were none-too-happy about spying, conniving boys, and they promptly threw seashells at the young men until the two raced home.

Elaine became quite the social worker, but after ten years of the job, Samuel proposed to her, and so she married him and retired.

And now, let us conclude this story with one last view of Jareth, Sarah, and the Labyrinth.

It is evening. The sun is setting over a large field, making the grass look golden in the last dying rays of light. Butterfly wings reflect in the dazzling beams of light, casting gorgeous colors over the meadow.

Two people can be seen walking through the field, a beautiful young woman, her face shining with joy, and her companion, a handsome man with glitter surrounding him and loose, wispy blonde hair. They make quite the couple. She has dark hair, blowing wildly in the evening breeze, and a young, gentle face. The man has somewhat of a stern look on his face, but from the way he looks at the woman, you just know he can't be too terribly fierce.

"Jareth," Sarah speaks his name as though it's the most beautiful word in the whole of the Underground. "I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't come back into my life."

"You would have found your way back to me," Jareth smiles, his pointed teeth gleaming in the light.

"Just when I thought all was lost, all my dreams were over, you came. I love you, Goblin King."

The Goblin King smiles and takes his most cherished possession in his arms. He nuzzles his face into her hair, breathing in her sweet scent, then moves his face so that it is only centimeters away from hers. He lowers his body slightly so that their faces are even, and then speaks, his voice deep and meaningful.

"Stay in your dreams, Sarah. Believe me. If you want to be truly free, wholly yourself, then you will find what you want only as long as you stay in your dreams. Once abandon it, and you are at the mercy of other people's dreams. They will make of you what they want you to be. Forget them, Sarah. Trust to your dream. Trust to me. Can you do that?" *

"I could move the stars for you," Sarah smiles and then wraps her arms tightly around her king. She moves her face to his, and then kisses him lovingly, possessively.

He responds, moving his mouth fervently against hers, loving her with an undying love.

She is his queen. She always has been, and she always will be. She is the fulfillment of his heart's greatest dream, the answer to his every prayer, the music in every one of his songs. He will love her until the end of time, and she will return his love.

She will always be grateful that she was never too old to dream.

* From "The Labyrinth Novel"


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